Himanta Biswa Sarma Defends CEC, Calls Criticism a Political Campaign by Opposition

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid reports of internal rifts within the Election Commission of India, dismissing allegations of unilateral decision-making as a politically motivated attack driven by the desperation of the Opposition and intellectual “dimagi Naxals.” Addressing a press conference in response to media reports claiming Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected fourteen times over ten months regarding Special Intensive Revision decisions, Sarma emphasized that the constitutional body functions strictly through collective majority and consensus. The Chief Minister explained that legally, under statutory rules, the Chief Election Commissioner cannot override the other two commissioners or execute decisions independently without panel approval, noting that any formal order requires final signatures across the multi-member panel where a two-to-one minority vote would defeat any unilateral proposal. Drawing parallels to standard government procedures, Sarma characterized reported internal differences as routine pre-decision consultations where officials naturally record varying observations before arriving at a final consensus. He pointed out that the Election Commission itself clarified that all final decisions concerning electoral rolls and revision procedures carried unanimous approval from all three commissioners. Reaffirming that criticism of the poll panel misrepresents its constitutional framework, Sarma concluded that the targeting of the CEC remains a orchestrated campaign to create public sensation rather than a genuine legal dispute.