Allegations raised against the Election Commission, an independent constitutional body of the country, have continued to spark intense reactions nationwide. A significant hearing was held in the Supreme Court today regarding allegations that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar took unilateral decisions while keeping the other two commissioners in the dark. Taking up the petition filed against Gyanesh Kumar’s alleged authoritarianism, the Supreme Court today issued notices to the Central Government and the Election Commission.
A three-judge special bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Jaymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohanan directed the respondents to file their replies within a week. During the hearing, the bench sent a clear message, stating that if the Election Commission’s response reveals that any decision was taken without consensus, all such unilateral steps would be cancelled immediately.
The petition, filed by Patna resident Rakesh Kumar Singh and advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, alleges that Gyanesh Kumar has been solely exercising the collective constitutional authority of the entire Election Commission. It mentions that he bypassed his colleagues to make software changes and issued important guidelines through individual decisions. The petitioners requested the court to restrain the CEC from all responsibilities until the final verdict and to allow the Commission to function under the joint leadership of the other two commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Notably, the other two commissioners had reportedly raised written objections at least 14 times in the last ten months, alleging that certain instructions regarding the Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls were prepared without their knowledge. This legal battle began in the Supreme Court after this sensational information was leaked in a national media outlet, causing a massive stir in the country’s political circles regarding the credibility and transparency of the independent Election Commission.
