BJP Targets Rahul Gandhi Over Remarks On Appointment Of Election Commissioners

A political war of words intensified on Tuesday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of misleading Parliament regarding the process of appointing Election Commissioners.

The BJP responded to Gandhi’s claim that a committee comprising the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) had historically selected Election Commissioners.

In a post published on X on 9 December 2025, the BJP challenged Gandhi to name a single Election Commissioner appointed during Congress governments through a committee involving either the CJI or the LoP.

According to the BJP, the committee-based mechanism existed only temporarily until a new law enacted, and historically it was the Prime Minister who appointed Election Commissioners directly.

The BJP further claimed that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era, Congress did not follow any collegium-style selection process. It cited the 2005 appointment of Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner, attributing the decision to Sonia Gandhi and questioning the authority she held in the matter.

LK Advani’s 2012 Suggestion Recalled

The party also alleged that in 2012, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, senior BJP leader LK Advani suggested that the Congress adopt a collegium system for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

However, Congress allegedly dismissed the suggestion and directly appointed VS Sampath as CEC, with President Pratibha Patil promptly approving the appointment.

The BJP post also stated that opposition parties were not consulted during the appointment process and contrasted this with the current system, in which the Leader of the Opposition is formally part of the committee responsible for selecting the CEC.

Framing Gandhi’s recent statements as ‘drama,’ the BJP argued that instead of contributing to a constructive selection process for the new CEC, the Congress leader was attempting to distort historical facts.

The exchange adds another layer of tension between the ruling and opposition benches as debates over electoral reforms continue to dominate national political discourse.

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