Gaurav Gogoi slams BJP over Padma Bhushan talk for election chief

Guwahati: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi attacked BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya for suggesting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar deserves a Padma Bhushan. Gogoi warned that such praise proves the BJP supports the current direction of the poll body. He did not hold back. "Padma Bhushan? The BJP will make him the President," Gogoi said during a speech in Nagaon.

Gogoi claims an IT cell inside Kumar's office now dictates which 18-year-olds appear on voter rolls. He argued this represents a shift from old-school booth capturing to a total seizure of electoral lists. These concerns align with claims that internal Election Commission staff are also troubled by the chief's performance.

The Congress party wants Kumar out. Gaurav Gogoi referenced Rahul Gandhi’s demand for the official to turn approver. He wants the Commissioner to name the people giving illegal orders that break the integrity of the institution. The party remains locked in a fierce dispute with the Election Commission regarding the handling of voter lists and operational transparency.