Congress Leader Calls for Transparency Amid Allegations Against Chief Election Commissioner
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan demands public disclosure of letters from election commissioners amid allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
New Delhi, October 4 (Daily Kiran) : Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has raised concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission of India amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Chavan highlighted that two election commissioners have expressed written objections to the CEC’s decisions 14 times, suggesting internal discord within the commission.
Chavan stated, “The pressing issue before us is the alleged irregularities and illegal actions during Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure. Rahul Gandhi has also addressed this matter. First, we must examine the legal framework governing the Election Commission.”
He emphasized that the commission was established with three members under a legal framework, and the Supreme Court has clearly delineated the powers and rights of each member. Decisions within the Election Commission should be made either by consensus or by majority.
The former Chief Minister of Maharashtra pointed out that if no consensus is reached, a majority decision is taken. “The situation is quite clear,” he said, noting that the concerns of the two election commissioners have been overlooked for several months.
Chavan insisted that if two election commissioners have written 14 letters questioning the CEC’s actions, those letters should be made public. “This clearly indicates differing opinions within the Election Commission,” he added.
He reiterated that the law mandates that all decisions of the Election Commission be made by a majority. If two commissioners support a particular action, they form the majority. Therefore, any decision taken against their views would be deemed illegal, raising questions about the legitimacy of the election process.
