RTI Reveals Cabinet Secretariat Forwarded Election Commissioners’ Complaints to CEC, Avoided Direct Intervention
New Delhi: Documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act have revealed that the Cabinet Secretariat forwarded complaints submitted by two Election Commissioners to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar while refraining from directly intervening in the matter to preserve the Election Commission’s institutional independence.
The disclosures, accessed by RTI activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (Retd.), pertain to an internal dispute within the Election Commission of India involving the allocation of administrative responsibilities and decision-making procedures.
According to the documents, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi separately raised concerns over an administrative order issued by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg.
The order reportedly reassigned responsibilities among senior officials within the Election Commission, leading to objections from the commissioners over the manner in which the decision was taken.
The commissioners argued that they were not consulted before the administrative changes were implemented, despite provisions under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which envisages collective functioning and decision-making within the poll body.
In his communication, Vivek Joshi also reportedly complained that a file sought from the Administration Division had not been made available to him.
Questions were additionally raised regarding administrative control over the Election Commission’s Information Technology Division and certain operational protocols concerning voter database access.
RTI records indicate that the Cabinet Secretariat examined the representations but concluded that the matter fell within the Election Commission’s internal administrative domain.
Officials noted that the letters represented individual concerns of the commissioners rather than a formal decision of the Election Commission.
Subsequently, the Secretariat acknowledged the communications and forwarded them to the office of the Chief Election Commissioner while avoiding any direct intervention.
The approach was reportedly guided by the principle of maintaining the autonomy and independence of the constitutional body.
The revelations have drawn attention to the functioning of the Election Commission and highlighted internal differences over administrative procedures, consultation mechanisms, and governance practices within the institution.
