Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today defended the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner ( CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, claiming that Kumar is being targeted by the Opposition and Dimaagi Naxals.
He argued that the Chief Election Commissioner cannot take decisions unilaterally without consulting the other Election Commissioners. “In my view, the EC cannot take any decision when the CEC is in the minority. It always has to be a consensus, collective and majority decision. So to send a message across the country that CEC has taken decisions unilaterally doesn’t fit in the constitutional scheme. In his press conference, the Assam Chief Minister added that the state has recorded zero rhino poaching for the last three years, calling it a major achievement in wildlife conservation.
On the Election Commission, Sarma said decisions of the poll panel should be taken collectively, either through consensus or by majority. Pre-decision discussions are different, but what is happening is targeting of the Chief Election Commissioner by Opposition and Dimaagi Naxals,” Sarma said. Sarma also said that, in his view, political attacks targeting the Chief Election Commissioner were part of an opposition campaign. On the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) campaign in Assam and its suggestions on education, Sarma said the government would welcome any constructive suggestions, irrespective of which political party they come from.
