‘Disrespectful, discourteous’: Rahul Gandhi’s dissent note opposes appointment of new CEC

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday strongly opposed the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), calling the move “disrespectful and discourteous” as the matter is set to be heard by the Supreme Court in less than 48 hours.

Gandhi, who was part of the selection committee meeting alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, submitted a formal dissent note arguing that the Modi government has “exacerbated concerns” over electoral integrity by removing the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection panel.

"The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission free from executive interference is the process of choosing the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner," Gandhi wrote in a post on X, sharing his dissent note. "By violating the Supreme Court order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi Government has exacerbated the concerns of hundreds of millions of voters over the integrity of our electoral process."

The Congress leader pointed out that the Supreme Court had, in a March 2023 order, mandated a selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and the CJI to ensure impartiality in the appointment process. However, in August 2023, the government passed legislation that replaced the CJI with a cabinet minister appointed by the Prime Minister. This, Gandhi claimed, was in "flagrant violation of the letter and spirit" of the Supreme Court's ruling.

In his dissent note, he further stressed that public trust in India's election process has been steadily declining, citing surveys that indicate voters' concerns over electoral fairness. "The Supreme Court has indicated its intention to take up this matter on 19th February 2025, less than forty-eight hours away. Therefore, it is the view of the Congress party that the process of choosing the next CEC be deferred until the Supreme Court hearing," Gandhi stated.

Despite the Congress's objections, the government proceeded with the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer, as the new Chief Election Commissioner. Kumar, who has held key positions in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, will serve as CEC until January 2029. His tenure will cover crucial elections, including the Bihar Assembly polls later this year and the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal elections in 2026.

The meeting of the selection panel, which took place at the South Block office of the Prime Minister, came under sharp criticism from Gandhi, who accused the Modi government of rushing the decision at "midnight" despite the ongoing legal challenge. "It will be both disrespectful and discourteous to the institutions as well as to the founding leaders of our nation for this committee to continue with its process of choosing the next CEC when the very composition of this committee and the process is being challenged and soon to be heard by the Hon. Supreme Court," he stated.