Cabinet Secretariat Declines Action on Election Commissioners' Complaints

The Cabinet Secretariat has opted not to take action regarding complaints lodged by two Election Commissioners against a senior official from the Election Commission of India. This decision was disclosed in documents released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as reported by Press Trust of India (PTI).

The complaints were made by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who raised concerns about the functioning of Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg. On July 29, both commissioners sent separate letters to Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan, alleging that Garg had engaged in unauthorized changes to work allocations without consulting the Commission.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat, the letters sent by the commissioners were in their individual capacities and did not represent the views of the Commission as a whole. Consequently, the Secretariat deemed it inappropriate to act on these communications without a formal endorsement from the Election Commission. The Cabinet noted, “The above communications are from the ECs in their individual capacity and, while they must be taken with due seriousness, they cannot be seen as a formal communication from the Commission as a whole.”

The letters from the commissioners raised serious issues regarding Garg's management style. Allegations included that he had revised the allocation of tasks among senior officials, bypassing established procedures and the usual consultation process. These changes were reportedly made despite explicit instructions emphasizing the necessity of prior discussions.

The Cabinet Secretariat received the complaints on August 5 and chose to forward them to various departments, although the only response provided to the commissioners was an acknowledgment of receipt. Critics have raised questions about the decision of the two Election Commissioners to approach the Cabinet Secretary directly instead of using the internal mechanisms of the Election Commission.

Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa expressed concern over this approach, suggesting the need for clarity on the processes followed. Political analyst Yogendra Yadav also questioned why the commissioners had not convened a full meeting of the Election Commission or escalated the matter to the President if internal discussions failed.

In response to the RTI query filed by transparency activist Commodore Lokesh K. Batra, the Cabinet Secretariat reiterated that any interference in the functioning of the Election Commission could have far-reaching implications. They emphasised that the Election Commission is designed to operate independently, insulated from executive influence.

The controversy arose in the context of Garg's orders regarding work allocations, which reportedly centralised powers over electoral roll management that traditionally rested with state officials. In a statement, the Election Commission clarified that actions taken under Garg's direction had not been implemented following concerns raised by the commissioners. The officials noted that their letters concerned internal management rather than broader policy issues.

The complexities within the Election Commission continue to spark debates about governance and accountability as the organisation prepares for upcoming electoral responsibilities. Amid escalating tensions and procedural disputes, these developments emphasise the need for transparency and adherence to established processes within the Commission.