'Gyanesh Kumar Used to Recruit for BJP,' Claims Ex-Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson has claimed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while serving as an IAS officer in 2016, urged him to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
The disclosure has handed fresh ammunition to the Opposition, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleging that Kumar was used to "recruit for the BJP" before being tasked with heading the poll panel.The allegation comes amid heightened political tension over reported internal friction within the three-member Election Commission.
In-Flight Proposal for Pathanamthitta Seat
Recalling the incident, Thomson—a 1980-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer—said the discussion took place on a flight to New Delhi in 2016 while both men were serving civil servants.Thomson was serving as Kerala's Chief Secretary, while Kumar was a 1988-batch IAS officer of the same cadre.
According to Thomson, Kumar spoke at length about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rising popularity in Kerala and actively persuaded him to enter politics.Kumar allegedly suggested that Thomson contest from the Pathanamthitta parliamentary constituency in 2019, adding that a electoral victory could pave the way for a Cabinet minister position at the Centre.
Thomson clarified that he promptly rejected the suggestion, stating he had no interest in entering electoral politics and was surprised to receive such advice from a serving bureaucrat.
Political Storm and Opposition Outcry
The revelations sparked immediate political reactions from the Congress and other Opposition parties.
Reacting to the development, Rahul Gandhi took to social media platform X to attack the Chief Election Commissioner.Gandhi alleged that Kumar was used as a recruiter for the ruling party while in government service before being appointed as "the umpire" to oversee national elections.The Kerala unit of the Congress also questioned the authority under which a serving IAS officer was making political offers on behalf of the BJP.
Poll Body Under Scrutiny
The controversy surfaces at a sensitive time for the Election Commission of India.The poll panel is already facing intense scrutiny following media reports of procedural differences and written objections recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding operational decisions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
While the Election Commission maintained that differences during internal deliberations are standard practice and that final decisions are taken unanimously, the latest claims have amplified calls from several Opposition groups demanding Kumar's resignation.Neither Gyanesh Kumar nor the BJP has issued an official response to Thomson's allegations.
