Himanta defends Gyanesh Kumar amid ECI ‘dissent’ row

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asserted that the chief election commissioner (CEC) cannot take decisions without consulting the other election commissioners, defending CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid the political storm over reported dissent within the Election Commission of India (ECI).The row follows a Wednesday report by The Indian Express, which claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times over roughly 10 months to SIR-related decisions, including voter deletions and electoral roll data. The Commission, however, has said that decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were taken unanimously with the approval of all three commissioners.At a press conference here, when asked for his reaction to the report, Sarma said that the CEC was being targeted as part of a “political campaign,” which he said reflected the “frustration” of the Opposition and “dimagi” (intellectual) Naxals.“The election commission is a three-member body, and any decision requires the signatures of all three members,” he said, noting that had two commissioners genuinely opposed the CEC on a final decision, the outcome would have gone against him in a 2-1 vote.Drawing a parallel with cabinet functioning, Sarma said it was routine for different officials to record differing views before a final call is made. “Before a decision is taken on a file, different officials may record different views. The same happens in the cabinet. A deputy secretary may make one observation, a joint secretary another, and ultimately the cabinet discusses the matter and takes a decision,” he said.He characterised the episode reported by The Indian Express as “pre-decision-making consultation” rather than evidence of a rift, adding that the Commission’s three members “sit together and take the decision,” and that nothing counts as an ECI decision unless all three sign off.“I therefore do not think there is much controversy in this matter, particularly because the Election Commission itself has provided a clarification on the issue,” Sarma said, suggesting the report was “published mainly to create a sensation.”He maintained that the EC functions as a collective body and that all decisions carry the signatures of the CEC and both election commissioners.“Those who know Election Commission rules won’t level such an allegation. In my humble view, the EC cannot take any decision when the CEC or the election commissioners are in a minority. All EC decisions have to be passed or taken in majority as a collective body,” Sarma said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Guwahati | Silver Rate in Guwahati | Bank Holidays in Guwahati | Public Holidays in Guwahati | Guwahati AQI | Weather in Guwahati | Petrol Price in Guwahati | Diesel Price in Guwahati | CNG Price in Guwahati | LPG Price in GuwahatiStay updated with the latest Guwahati news. Download the TOI App.