Rahul Gandhi Reveals His Dissent Note In New CEC Selection

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has revealed his dissent note to the selection of the new CEC (Chief Election Commissioner) while strongly criticizing the Modi government over the selection process. He alleged that it has undermined the independence of the Election Commission (EC).

During the meeting of the selection committee with PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi submitted a dissent note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that stated, “The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission free from executive interference is the process of choosing the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner.”

Gandhi accused the government of violating the Supreme Court's directive by excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection committee. "By violating the Supreme Court order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi Government has exacerbated the concerns of hundreds of millions of voters over the integrity of our electoral process," he wrote on platform ‘X’

Highlighting his role as Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi further wrote, “As the LoP, it is my duty to uphold the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the founding leaders of our nation and hold the government to account.”

Gandhi also criticized the timing of the decision, calling it discourteous. "It is both disrespectful and discourteous for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to select the new CEC, when the very composition of the committee and the process is being challenged in the Supreme Court and is due to be heard in less than forty-eight hours," he remarked.

During the meeting of the committee to select the next Election Commissioner, I presented a dissent note to the PM and HM, that stated: The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission free from executive interference is the process of choosing the Election… pic.twitter.com/JeL9WSfq3X

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 18, 2025

The Congress leader’s statement comes amid growing debate over the transparency and fairness of the EC’s appointment process.