“Disrespectful and discourteous…": Rahul Gandhi Slams Government's 'Midnight Decision' Over Appointment of New Chief Election Commissioner

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has strongly criticised the union government’s “midnight decision” to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), calling it a violation of a Supreme Court order. Gandhi, who is part of the three-member committee responsible for selecting the CEC, condemned the move, particularly the removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection panel.

In a post shared on X, Gandhi explained that during the meeting to select the next CEC, he had presented a dissent note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The note highlighted concerns about the process, stressing, "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 further accused the Modi government of exacerbating concerns over electoral integrity by sidelining the CJI from the selection process. “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,” he added.

The Congress leader underscored his duty to uphold the ideals of the nation’s founding leaders, particularly Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, stating, “As the LoP, it is my duty to uphold the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the founding leaders of our nation and hold the government to account.”

Taking a sharp hit at the timing of the decision, Gandhi called it "disrespectful and discourteous" for the Prime Minister and Home Minister to make such a decision in the middle of the night. He pointed out that the process of selecting the CEC is being challenged in the Supreme Court, with a hearing set to take place in less than 48 hours. “It is both disrespectful and discourteous for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to select the new CEC, when the very composition of the committee and the process is being challenged in the Supreme Court,” he stated.

The controversy surrounding the appointment stems from a change in the law that reshaped the composition of the panel responsible for selecting the CEC. The new law now allows the panel to consist of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition. Critics, including opposition parties, argue that this structure gives the government an unfair advantage in selecting the individual who will oversee key state elections over the next several years.

Opponents of the law contend that it undermines the neutrality of the CEC selection process, particularly when compared to the previous arrangement, which included the Chief Justice of India. The law, which was passed by the government in 2023, follows a Supreme Court ruling that had called for the selection committee to consist of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on February 22.​