Election Commissioners Bypass CEC, Write Directly to Cabinet Secretary

Unusual Move by Election Commissioners

New Delhi. On July 29, two of India's three election commissioners took an unprecedented step by addressing a letter directly to the Cabinet Secretary instead of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar.

RTI Response Reveals Actions Taken

A Right to Information (RTI) response obtained by a news outlet disclosed the actions taken regarding these letters within the 'Seva Teerth' complex, which houses the Prime Minister's Office, the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Cabinet Secretariat.

The RTI response dated October 19 confirmed that the letters written by Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on July 29 reached the Cabinet Secretariat.

Timeline of Paperwork

According to the RTI, both letters were registered on July 30 and were forwarded by the Cabinet Secretary to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) officials and the CEC's office by August 5.

However, the original content of the letters has not yet been disclosed. The Secretariat has withheld all documents, including the commissioners' ten-page letters, two pages of responses, and two pages of file notings, until a fee of ₹28 is paid.

Reason Behind the Letters

The controversy stems from a work allocation order issued on July 28. According to a newspaper report, both commissioners objected to this order, citing violations of regulations, and subsequently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary. This new work allocation was later revoked.

Reports indicate that this change eliminated a layer of oversight on the IT backbone of the electoral rolls, and the commissioners clarified that this alteration was made without their knowledge.

Clarification from the Election Commission

Conversely, another news report cited sources claiming that the letter pertained to a senior Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) rather than the CEC, Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified its stance in a press release issued on September 26, stating: 'The letter to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter or the IT division of the Commission, but was associated with the functioning of an officer on deputation. The redistribution order issued by the concerned officer was not implemented following the orders of both commissioners, and the oversight on the IT division was never actually revoked by the Deputy Election Commissioner.'

Implications of the RTI

While the RTI does not disclose the contents of the letters, it serves as the first official document in this ongoing controversy based on leaks and press notes. It confirms that the letters were indeed written, when they were received, and where the Cabinet Secretary's response was directed.