Even as it set off a war of words between the Congress and the BJP, the government on Monday made it clear that it would not entertain chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami?s recommendation seeking removal of his colleague Navin Chawla.
Union law minister HR Bhardwaj practically ruled out any positive response to the CEC?s communication on the ground that the latter had no authority to seek removal of a colleague as his status was not higher than the other two election commissioners. Slamming the CEC for behaving like a ?political boss? instead of doing his job in the EC, the law minister in fact went on to hint that Chawla would become the next CEC after Gopalaswami?s term ended on April 20.
?The CEC has no constitutional authority to embarrass or comment upon his own colleague because they are all equals. He is only the administrative head of the Election Commission and he is not the boss,? the minister stated.
The CEC controversy generated enough political heat with both the Congress and the BJP targeting each other on the matter during the course of the day with the accusation that the other party was exposing the constitutional body to partisanship. Charging CEC Gopalaswami of a bias towards the BJP, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said: ?We believe that there is a congruence of views between the BJP and the CEC?. The BJP, on its part, contended that the charges levelled by Gopalaswamy against Chawla accusing him of partisanship and warranted government action. It also brought the law minister into the firing line saying ?nothing better could be expected from the law minister? since his ministry was already ?advising? Chawla for the last so many months.
Rebutting the BJP?s contention, the law minister contended that the CEC?s authority flows from the President any recommendation could be made by the CEC only if the President asked for his opinion. ?If he (president) does not ask, how can he (CEC) do so?? he asked. Bhardwaj said that the EC?s role is to prepare electoral rolls and not to settle old scores, pointing out that an internal tussle between the CEC and Chawla had been going on since he was appointed to the post of election commissioner. ?It is unfortunate that a person of such high rank and at the end of his office has made such a reaction and, thus, troubled the good name of the Election Commission,? he said.
Bhardwaj said the policy of having the senior-most in the Election Commission as the successor will continue, indicating the likelihood of Chawla becoming the next CEC. ?We will begin the process to put in place a new CEC well in time? so that the name of Gopalaswami?s successor is clear before he retires, he said.
