Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner amid strong dissent by opposition Congress. Kumar’s name was finalised at midnight by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a meeting by a high-level committee in the South Block office of the prime minister, where Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asked the government to defer the appointment until the Supreme Court decides on the petitions challenging the new appointment process.
Besides Modi and Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah is the third member of the selection panel.In a “dissent note” he submitted on the matter, Gandhi alleged the name was finalised despite “the very composition of the committee (that selects the CEC) and the process is being challenged in the Supreme Court and is due to be heard in less than forty-eight hours”. This, he said, was “disrespectful and discourteous”.”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 cited a Supreme Court judgement from March 2, 2023, which, as per him, had “ordered that the appointment of the CEC and election commissioners should be undertaken by a committee comprising of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of India”.