IndiaPosted at: Oct 13 2026 4:02PM


Congress gave ticket to one CEC, made another minister, BJP hits out

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc leaders held a massive protest and approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Election Commission’s actions, the BJP on Tuesday accused him of “double standards” and described his behaviour as “childish” that “undermines every aspect of the Constitution”.
Citing examples of how the Congress, when in power, fielded a former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on its party ticket, inducted another into the union Cabinet, and appointed two former CECs as Governors, union Minister Piyush Goyal questioned: “Was it not, in effect, a form of bribery?”
“Rahul Gandhi questions the fairness of the Election Commission but overlooks the Congress’s own track record,” Goyal said, slamming Gandhi for INDIA bloc protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“Over the past few days, we have witnessed Rahul Gandhi’s conduct, the double standards in his actions, and what can only be described as childish behaviour that undermines every aspect of the Constitution, ” he said.
Beginning with T N Seshan, Goyal said the Congress used to praise his integrity and fearlessness. “ But what did it do afterwards? In 1999, it gave him the opportunity to contest on a Congress ticket against L K Advani. If he had been administering the electoral system with such integrity as an Election Commissioner, was fielding him as a party candidate in such an important election, against a leader like Advani, not a way of rewarding him?” he asked.

Goyal also cited the example of M S Gill, who served as CEC from 1996 to 2001 and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2000, while still in office. “Was this not an inducement? Was it not, in effect, a form of bribery?” he asked.
The union minister said that the BJP-led NDA government had granted the Election Commission complete autonomy to function independently in the national and public interest and had never offered political benefits to appointed Election Commissioners.
“The NDA has allowed them to work honestly and has never committed the wrongdoing of offering them political positions in violation of legal provisions. However, if we look at Rahul Gandhi’s track record, which he conveniently ignores, we find that the Congress appointed a Chief Election Commissioner as a candidate on its party ticket, inducted another into the union Cabinet, and appointed two Chief Election Commissioners as Governors,” he said.
Goyal also alleged that the Congress government had refused to remove an Election Commissioner despite the CEC’s complaint. “On one occasion, despite the Chief Election Commissioner's complaint that an Election Commissioner working under him was acting entirely like a Congress agent, the Congress government refused to remove that official. We have rarely seen such a degree of bias in any government's conduct as the Congress has demonstrated,” he said.
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Tags: #Congress gave ticket to one CEC# made another minister# BJP hits out
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