‘Election Commissioners made governors, ministers under Congress rule’:Piyush Goyal questions MS Gill’s Padma Vibhushan, challenges Rahul with 10 questions

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to provide evidence for his allegations of vote theft and bias against the Election Commission of India (ECI). Goyal accused the Congress of questioning the poll body’s impartiality while allegedly rewarding former election officials with political appointments. Goyal cited the appointments of former Chief Election Commissioners TN Seshan, M.S. Gill and RK Trivedi, questioning whether the Congress’s decisions raised concerns about political inducements and quid pro quo. He also questioned the Congress’s allegations regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and asked Rahul Gandhi to submit evidence under oath to substantiate his claims. Goyal poses 10 questions to Rahul Gandhi Goyal said Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly alleged vote theft but had not submitted an affidavit to the Election Commission supporting his claims. He challenged the Congress leader to provide evidence and formally present his case. He also questioned why Gandhi had not raised concerns during the SIR process in Bihar if he believed it was flawed. Goyal further claimed that the Congress had not filed claims to add or delete names during the electoral roll revision in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The Union Minister also referred to statements by Congress leaders on the SIR process in Kerala and the election process in West Bengal. He said Shashi Tharoor and Ramesh Chennithala had credited the SIR process for the Congress’s victory in Kerala, while Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had praised it. Goyal also cited Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remarks describing the West Bengal election process as fair. Goyal questions Congress’s appointments of former election officials Referring to former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan, Goyal said the Congress had given him a party ticket to contest the 1999 Lok Sabha election against BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. He questioned whether the decision amounted to rewarding an official whom the party had previously praised for his integrity. Goyal also raised questions over the Padma Vibhushan awarded to M.S. Gill in 2000, while he was serving as Chief Election Commissioner, a position he held from 1996 to 2001. He asked whether conferring the country’s second-highest civilian honour on a serving election official could be considered an inducement. Citing former Chief Election Commissioner R.K. Trivedi, Goyal said his tenure ended on December 31, 1985, and the Congress government appointed him Governor of Gujarat on February 26, 1986. The minister also referred to Gill’s subsequent entry into the Union Cabinet and alleged that former election official Tikaram Meena was given a place on the Congress manifesto committee. Goyal further questioned the appointment of Ratan U. Kelkar, former Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala, as secretary to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan in May 2026. He asked whether such appointments after elections indicated political quid pro quo. Questions raised over Navin Chawla’s appointment Goyal also questioned the appointment of former Election Commissioner Navin Chawla, asking in what capacity Congress leader Sonia Gandhi could have influenced the decision when she did not hold a government position. He said the authority to appoint election commissioners at the time rested with the prime minister and the government. Goyal alleged that the Congress had undermined the Election Commission’s independence by offering political positions to former election officials. In contrast, he claimed that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government had strengthened the poll body’s autonomy. Goyal cites changes to election commissioner appointment process Goyal said election commissioners had previously been appointed by the government without consultation with other stakeholders. He pointed to the law enacted in 2023, under which the selection committee includes the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the prime minister. He said the inclusion of the Leader of the Opposition was a change in the appointment process and presented it as evidence of the NDA government’s commitment to a more consultative system. Goyal’s remarks came amid the political debate over the Election Commission’s functioning, the SIR process and allegations of electoral irregularities raised by the Congress.