Congress leader KC Venugopal has strongly criticised the appointment of the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), alleging that the move undermines the sanctity of India’s electoral process and goes against the spirit of the Constitution.
Venugopal, a Member of Parliament, expressed his concerns through a social media post, labelling the appointment as part of a deliberate effort by the ruling regime to manipulate the electoral system.
He condemned the decision as being made in a hasty and secretive manner, asserting that it confirmed growing doubts over the integrity of the government’s approach to elections.
The appointment, which was announced late at night, saw Gyanesh Kumar, the current Election Commissioner, elevated to the role of CEC. The Congress MP argued that such rushed decisions undermine the constitutional principles that ensure an impartial electoral process.
"In a hasty midnight move, the Government has notified the appointment of the new Central Election Commissioner. This goes against the spirit of our Constitution, and what has been reiterated by the Supreme Court in many cases – for the electoral process to have sanctity, the CEC must be an impartial stakeholder," Venugopal said in his post on X (formerly Twitter).
The Congress leader further criticised the timing of the appointment, suggesting that it was deliberately expedited to avoid scrutiny from the Supreme Court.
"Their decision to hastily hold the meeting today and appoint the new EC shows they are keen to circumvent the Supreme Court’s scrutiny and get the appointment done before a clear order kicks in," he said.
Venugopal also accused the ruling party of systematically eroding the electoral process for its own benefit, pointing to several alleged irregularities in the electoral system.
These included concerns about fake voter lists, election schedules that he claimed favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and ongoing allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering. "Such egregious behaviour only confirms the doubts that many have expressed about how the ruling regime is destroying the electoral process and bending the rules for its benefit," he stated.
The Congress MP's remarks come amid a growing political debate surrounding the appointment of the new CEC. Venugopal argued that the appointment should have been postponed until the Supreme Court had delivered its verdict on the matter, as suggested by the Leader of Opposition (LoP).
"As the LoP rightly pointed out, this decision should have been kept aside until the Supreme Court decides the issue in line with the Constitution," he added.
The appointment of Gyanesh Kumar to the position of CEC was formalised in a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The notification, signed by President Droupadi Murmu, stated that Kumar, who has served as Election Commissioner, would take over as the Chief Election Commissioner effective from February 19, 2025.
The decision was made in accordance with the powers conferred under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
In a separate announcement, the Ministry of Law and Justice also revealed the appointment of Dr Vivek Joshi as Election Commissioner.
Joshi, a 1989 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Haryana cadre, will assume his new role as Election Commissioner once he formally takes office.
The appointments were made following a meeting of the Selection Committee, which met just hours before the official notifications were issued.
Gyanesh Kumar’s elevation to the role of CEC comes as the current Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, prepares to demit office on February 18.
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