Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seized on Thomson’s account to attack Kumar, linking the claim to the wider political fight over the Election Commission. Former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson has claimed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar suggested he contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket when the two travelled together to Delhi in 2016.
Discussion on Post-Retirement Plans
During a recent flight, Thomson revealed that his friend Kumar shared his aspirations for life after retirement. In their conversation, Thomson expressed his desire to engage in a project focused on children.
Claim lands during Election Commission row over SIR
He proposed that Thomson contest the Lok Sabha election from Pathanamthitta in Kerala on a BJP ticket, become an MP and then a minister. We were together on a flight. He was very persuasive, I declined it promptly,” local newspaper Manorama quoted him as saying.
Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre. He later retired from the IAS in January 2024 and became Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025. The issues reported by the newspaper covered voter enrolment and deletion, access to electoral-roll data and the declaration attached to Form 6 during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He was waxing eloquent about Prime Minister Modi and openly asked me if I was interested in contesting as a BJP candidate from Pathanamthitta in the 2019 general elections. Earlier reporting noted: Congress’ Anto Antony won the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat in 2019 while Veena George of the CPI(M) came second. BJP’s Pathanamthitta pick was K Surendran who finished third with a 28.95 per cent vote share.
Kumar suggested a different course, according to Thomson’s account. “I declined it promptly,” Thomson said. He was serving in the government when the conversation is said to have taken place. Sandhu and Joshi also wrote to the Cabinet Secretary over concerns linked to the poll body’s digital systems, according to the investigation.
Earlier reporting noted: “I was serving as the Kerala Chief Secretary then. Earlier reporting noted: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi responded by accusing Kumar of having been involved in recruiting for the BJP before subsequently being appointed as the official overseeing elections.
The Kerala Congress also responded to Thomson’s account, asking who had authorised Kumar to propose a BJP candidature and why a serving IAS officer was discussing such an offer.
