Assam CM Defends Election Commission Amid Criticism

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has defended the Election Commission in light of recent criticisms aimed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He described the attacks as a political campaign, asserting that the Commission operates as a collective body where decisions are made by consensus or majority. Sarma's comments come amid reports of disagreements among Election Commissioners regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which has led to calls from the Opposition for the cancellation of the SIR exercise and the removal of Kumar. This controversy highlights the ongoing tensions within the electoral framework as Sarma criticizes the Congress-led Opposition for undermining the Commission's efforts.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 24, 2026, 15:06 IST

Political Campaign Against the Chief Election Commissioner

File image of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (Photo: @himantabiswa/X)

Guwahati, Sept 24: On Thursday, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma labeled the criticism directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as a 'political campaign.' He emphasized that the Election Commission operates as a collective entity, with decisions made through consensus or majority vote.

During a press briefing following a Cabinet meeting, Sarma addressed inquiries regarding reported disagreements between Kumar and the other two Election Commissioners concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

He stated, 'Any decision made by the Election Commission must be based on consensus or majority. Therefore, targeting the CEC is merely a political maneuver. It is a fact that the CEC cannot make decisions independently of the other commissioners. This targeting reflects the Opposition's frustration and their misguided thinking.'

Sarma reiterated that neither the CEC nor any other Election Commissioner could act unilaterally, underscoring that the commission functions as a unified body.

'In my opinion, the CEC cannot make decisions when either the CEC or the other commissioners are in the minority. All decisions of the Election Commission must be made by majority vote, as it is a collective body,' he remarked.

He further noted that depicting the CEC as making unilateral decisions contradicts the constitutional framework that governs the Election Commission.

'I suspect that someone has leaked information regarding pre-decision discussions,' he added.

This controversy arose following an investigation by a news outlet on September 23, which revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a span of 10 months regarding decisions made by the three-member panel led by Kumar.

The objections were noted during the period when the Election Commission was managing the nationwide implementation of the SIR initiative.

The revelations have sparked a political uproar, with Opposition leaders demanding the cancellation of the SIR exercise and calling for Kumar's removal.

On Wednesday, Sarma also criticized the Congress-led Opposition at the national level, accusing them of attempting to undermine what he termed the Election Commission's 'commendable work.'