CEC Gyanesh Kumar Row Escalates As BJP, Opposition Trade Fresh Charges Over Election Commission

The political row over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has intensified, with the BJP and Opposition trading allegations over the Election Commission. The Opposition has questioned the poll panel’s functioning, while BJP leaders have defended the ECI and attacked the Congress. The controversy gained another dimension after former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson alleged that Kumar suggested he contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket during a 2016 flight. Thomson said he declined the proposal. The Election Commission has maintained that key SIR decisions were approved unanimously by all three commissioners.