Centre turns tables on Congress over former election chiefs

The Centre has sought to deflate ongoing controversy surrounding Gyanesh Kumar by highlighting the Congress party's own documented ties with individuals who previously held the post of Chief Election Commissioner.

Union minister Piyush Goyal made the assertion while defending the government against mounting protests over Kumar's tenure. The minister referenced specific instances from Congress's political history, noting that the party had fielded one former CEC as a candidate against senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and subsequently elevated another to ministerial rank.

Goyal's remarks represent an attempt to shift the narrative away from current grievances by framing the controversy as part of a broader pattern of political engagement with electoral authorities across administrations.

The exchanges underline continuing tensions between the ruling coalition and the opposition Congress over the independence and functioning of the Election Commission. Both sides have periodically sought to question the impartiality of electoral administrators, with each alleging inappropriate political considerations in key decisions.

The controversy reflects deeper fault lines in Indian politics regarding institutional autonomy and the perceived politicization of constitutional bodies tasked with electoral oversight.