Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath on Saturday joined issue with his colleague and Election Commissioner H.S. Brahma over his criticism of the Varanasi Returning Officer, asserting that Mr. Brahma was party to all decisions of the Commission including its defence of the official.
Taking time out from his busy schedule to answer questions from journalists on the apparent differences between the Commissioners, he was emphatic that all their decisions were unanimous.
“The top leadership comprising all three Commissioners functions/acts as a team and it is discharging its constitutional responsibilities with firmness and with the required promptitude. We also strongly deny…any differences among ourselves. All decisions, including in this issue relating to Varanasi…have been taken only unanimously,” Mr. Sampath said.
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However, the rift within the Commission was evident when the visibly upset CEC said only Mr. Brahma could explain why he had expressed a different opinion to the media on Friday.
In response to a question about the impact of his colleague’s statements on the image of the Commission, he said: “It is there for all to see.”
As Mr. Brahma’s comments began reverberating in the media on Friday, the full Commission closeted itself in a meeting till late in the night. The decision to appoint Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar as Special Observer in Varanasi came shortly after.
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Mr.Sampath denied in a TV interview any connection between Mr. Brahma’s statements and Mr. Kumar’s appointment, saying “they are two different things”.
The other fallout was the EC’s decision to take cognisance of the BJP’s May 2 complaint against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, as well as asking him to explain by May 12 his alleged remarks at a Himachal rally that foreign investors were worried that if the BJP was elected, 22,000 people would be killed.