"All Rahul Gandhi does is drama": BJP slams Lok Sabha LoP for questioning CEC selection committee

New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for questioning the committee that selects the Chief Election Commissioner, claiming that earlier the Prime Ministers had chosen the ECs directly under the UPA regime.
Addressing the discussion on electoral reforms in the Lower House, Rahul Gandhi alleged that he has no voice in the committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and the Lok Sabha LoP. He asked why the Centre was "keen on choosing exactly who the election commissioner is going to be?"
In response, the BJP, in an X post, alleged that Rahul Gandhi of doing "drama" instead of assisting the selection committee.
The party claimed that former CECs Navin Chawla and VS Sampath were appointed directly by the Congress.
The BJP wrote, "Rahul Gandhi lies in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi says Election Commissioners used to be selected by a committee consisting of the CJI and LoP. Can Rahul name one election commissioner during the Congress government, chosen by the committee with either the CJI or the LoP? The committee was made temporarily till a new law was made. Congress PM till now appointed Election Commissioners directly."
"Did Rahul Gandhi Forget his UPA Rule? In 2005, Sonia Gandhi appointed Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner. What authority did Sonia have? In 2012, a New Chief Election Commissioner was to be appointed to overlook the Lok Sabha 2014. LK Advani Ji suggested that Congress make a collegium to select the CEC. Congress ignored it and directly appointed VS Sampath as CEC, immediately got clearance from President Pratibha Patil," the party added.
The party added that today, the LoP is taken into account when selecting the CEC, unlike in the UPA regime.
"Opposition wasn't even taken into confidence on the appointment. Today, LoP is part of the committee to select CEC. Instead of constructively assist in the selection of a new CEC, all Rahul Gandhi does is Drama," the X post read.
In 2023, the Supreme Court formed a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha LoP, and the Chief Justice of India. This norm was to continue till a law was enacted by the Parliament. Later that year, the Centre brought in a law to include the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha LoP, and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the PM in the committee.
Earlier today, addressing the Lower House, Rahul Gandhi had asked, "Why is it that the CJI was removed from the selection panel of the Election Commissioner? Why is he not in that room? I sit in that room. It is so-called a democratic decision. On one side, PM Modi and HM Amit Shah. On the other side, the leader of the opposition. I have no voice in that room. So the first question, why is the Prime Minister and Amit Shah so keen on choosing exactly who the election commissioner is going to be?" (ANI)