Thomson also recalled an earlier occasion when Kumar allegedly tried to persuade him to enter politics after learning that he had previously been approached about contesting an election.
Congress has seized on the allegation to question Kumar’s role as the head of the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X that Kumar, “then a serving IAS officer”, was “used to recruit for the BJP” before later being appointed to head the Election Commission.
The Congress post highlighting the allegation asked: “Why was Gyanesh Kumar making such an offer?” and “On whose authority was he speaking?” It also questioned whether he could conduct impartial elections in his present position.
The post further alleged that Kumar should be arrested, though it did not provide evidence establishing that he had committed a criminal offence.
The allegation comes amid an ongoing political dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The controversy has intensified following reports that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to certain decisions and orders concerning the poll panel’s functioning. The Election Commission has said its decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously.
Kumar has not publicly responded to Thomson’s allegation so far.
