New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has raised serious concerns over the appointment of election commissioners, alleging that the system was rigged in favor of the government. Chowdhary criticized the selection process, pointing out that the high-powered committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed two retired IAS officers – Gyanesh Kumar (Kerala cadre) and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (Uttarakhand cadre) – as election commissioners.
Expressing dissent over the selection process, Chowdhary, the sole opposition member in the panel, claimed that he was provided with a list of six shortlisted names just 10 minutes before the panel meeting commenced. He highlighted the lack of transparency in the shortlisting process, revealing that as the opposition member, he was given a list of 212 names to examine only the night before the meeting.
Chowdhary emphasized the overwhelming challenge of examining 212 names overnight to identify the most competent candidate. He described the situation as a "fait accompli," indicating that the government's predetermined candidates were bound to be chosen for the posts.
The Congress leader criticized the absence of clarity regarding the shortlisting of six names, asserting that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should have been part of the selection panel. He alleged that amendments were made to the law to exclude the CJI from the selection process.
Under the new act, the selection process involves two committees – a three-member search committee led by the Union law minister and a three-member selection committee headed by the PM. Chowdhary highlighted the imbalance in the composition of these committees, where three members are from the government and two are affiliated with the government.
Chowdhary further alleged that the selection committee, consisting of the prime minister and the home minister, tilted the process in favor of the government. He criticized Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who headed the search committee, for shortlisting the six names without his input.
The appointments of Singh and Kumar fill the vacancies left by the resignation of Arun Goel on March 8 and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14.