New Delhi: Former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson has alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar attempted to persuade him to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pathanamthitta, the regional news portal Onmanorama reported and The Wire later carried.
Allegation made during a flight to Delhi
According to the Onmanorama account cited by The Wire, Thomson said the exchange took place when the two were on a flight to Delhi while Thomson was serving as Kerala chief secretary. Thomson told the portal that Gyanesh Kumar "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."
"He was very persuasive, I declined it promptly," Thomson was quoted as saying by Onmanorama.
The former bureaucrat, who retired in 2016, told the portal that Kumar had asked him to consider contesting on more than one occasion. Thomson also recalled an earlier point in his career when others had urged him to enter electoral politics, and said Kumar had become aware of that and pressed the matter further, Onmanorama reported.
Context: concerns over Election Commission conduct
The allegation comes amid heightened scrutiny of Gyanesh Kumar's conduct as Chief Election Commissioner, particularly over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Wire noted that questions about Kumar's impartiality have been raised publicly, including reports that two Election Commissioners formally objected to his decisions on multiple occasions in the last 10 months.
The story quoted in The Wire states that Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025. The Election Commission is a constitutional, non‑partisan body responsible for administering elections; allegations of partisan behaviour therefore carry potential implications for public trust in the electoral process.
Official response and follow-up
The Wire said it reached out to Gyanesh Kumar for comment. As of the publication of the reports cited, no public response from the CEC has been reported in the accounts carried by Onmanorama and The Wire.
Why the allegation matters
- Institutional integrity: A claim that the head of the Election Commission sought to recruit a senior state bureaucrat for a political party raises questions about neutrality at the highest level of the electoral regulator.
- Procedural trust: The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls has already generated controversy; fresh allegations of partisan persuasion can deepen public mistrust.
- Accountability: Independent and transparent inquiries into such claims are necessary to preserve confidence in electoral administration.
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Alleged persuasion | Gyanesh Kumar asked Jiji Thomson to contest as BJP candidate (Onmanorama report) |
| Timing | Exchange reportedly on a flight to Delhi during Thomson's tenure as Kerala chief secretary |
| Relevant position | Gyanesh Kumar took charge as CEC in February 2025 |
While the allegations rest on Thomson's account as reported by Onmanorama and subsequently carried by The Wire, they add to an ongoing debate about the conduct of senior election officials. Given the centrality of impartiality to the EC's mandate, such charges are likely to provoke calls for clarification from the commission and statements from other stakeholders, including political parties and civil society groups.
For now, the claims underline the fragile public confidence that surrounds electoral administration. Observers say transparency in the investigation of any such allegation, and timely communication from the Election Commission, will be important to prevent further erosion of trust ahead of future electoral exercises.
Further developments will depend on responses from the CEC and other institutions named in the reports.
