Adhir Ranjan alleged flaws in election election commissioners' selection process

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a panelist representing the opposition, voiced his disapproval and raised concerns about the selection procedure...

Digital Desk: Congress leader and opposition member on the panel to select election commissioners, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, alleged that the Prime Minister-led committee is behind the selection of the election commissioners, Sukhbir Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a panelist representing the opposition, voiced his disapproval and raised concerns about the selection procedure, claiming he was not informed in advance of the officers' names being shortlisted.

Speaking to reporters at his home shortly after the meeting concluded, Chowdhury stated that the names of Sandhu and Kumar were chosen by the majority of the highly influential panel out of six candidates that were presented to them for the two ECs.

He stated that the Chief Justice of India ought to have been on the selection panel and that it was unclear how the Law Minister's search committee, which is believed to have received over 200 applications, came up with the shortlist of six names.

"The majority is with them (the administration). Ten minutes prior to the appointment, I was given only six names, whereas earlier they had given me 212. The Chief Justice of India isn't present, as far as I know. The government has passed legislation allowing the central government to select names of its choosing without interference from the CJI. Although the process being followed has some gaps, I'm not claiming it's arbitrary.” Adhir Ranjan said.

Article 370 was revoked under Gyanesh Kumar's leadership while he was in the Home Ministry. The openings were there, following Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement on February 14 and Arun Goel's abrupt resignation.