Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have separately written to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan, seeking action against Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar. The existence of these letters, dated July 29, has come to light through a Right to Information (RTI) request.
In their correspondence, the two Election Commissioners alleged that Nitesh Kumar acted unilaterally by reallocating work among senior officials without prior consultation with the Commission or relevant authorities. According to the letters, Nitesh Kumar had been assigned additional responsibility for the administrative division following the leave of Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash. The complainants allege that within hours of assuming this charge, he issued orders reassigning duties among staff.
The Election Commissioners further contended that these actions were in violation of established rules. They also reported that they were denied access to files requested from the administrative division and urged the Cabinet Secretary to take appropriate action against the official.
While the RTI response confirms that Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan acknowledged receipt of the letters, it does not provide any information regarding subsequent investigations or disciplinary measures taken in response to the complaints.
This development follows a period of heightened scrutiny regarding the Election Commission of India. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the CPI, have held nationwide protests, including demonstrations in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over his handling of internal matters. The controversy was further fueled by media reports suggesting internal disagreements between the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners regarding key decisions, a claim the Election Commission has officially denied.
