Rush Hour: Rahul Gandhi criticises manner of CEC selection, Allahbadia protected from arrest & more

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Union government for making a “midnight decision” to appoint Gyanesh Kumar the next chief election commissioner. The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said it was “disrespectful and discourteous” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to finalise the selection before the Supreme Court hears a challenge to the appointment process on Wednesday.

The Chief Election Commissioner Act was passed in December 2023, empowering a selection committee comprising the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the prime minister and the home minister to appoint election commissioners. The law effectively removed the chief justice of India as a committee member, an arrangement that was in place as per a March 2023 Supreme Court judgement. The 2023 law was challenged by the Association for Democratic Reforms in March 2024.

Gandhi’s dissent note from the selection committee meeting stated that the Modi government had “exacerbated the concerns of hundreds of millions of voters” by removing the chief justice of India from the panel. Congress leaders alleged that the government was attempting to “circumvent Supreme Court scrutiny”. Despite the Opposition’s objections, Kumar is expected to take charge on Wednesday. Read more.

Explainer: How Modi government’s new bill aims…

Read more