Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questions fairness of procedure of selecting ECs
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the sole Opposition representative in the search panel that selected the two election commissioners, expressed his dissent by pointing out "procedural lapses" in the selection process. He has questioned the rationale and motive of the government in providing him a list of «212 names» as probable candidates when he arrived at Wednesday midnight in Delhi and then handing him over a shortlist of «six names» just «10 minutes before the search committee meeting» on Thursday noon.
In his note of dissent, Chowdhury is learnt to have questioned the rationale and fairness of the composition of the search committee by saying it ensured «no decisive say» for the sole Opposition nominee in the matter of selection as the overwhelming majority of the government representatives in the panel made the ruling side's preference «a fait accompli».
During the meeting, Chowdhury is also learnt to have briefly mentioned his disappointment about the government not including the Chief Justice of India in the search committee. He reportedly pointed out that no reason has been provided for the abrupt resignation of election commissioner Arun Goel a few days ago and also the delay in filling up the second vacancy of the EC, caused by the retirement of the incumbent last month.
After the meeting, Chowdhury made it a point to tell the media, without waiting for the official announcement, that Sukhbir Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar were selected as ECs. «They (government) have the majority (in the committee) and Sukhbir
