The CPI said Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for the removal of his colleague Navin Chawla has created suspicions of political motive.
The CPI on Saturday said Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for the removal of his colleague Navin Chawla has created suspicions of political motive and demanded that Parliament should now examine the power and functions of the Election Commission.
"The very timing of such a recommendation smacks of political motive, if at all. ... Time has come to examine the appointment and removal, powers and functions of the EC by Parliament," CPI national secretary D Raja said from Tamil
Nadu.
The CPI leader said the CEC knew that he was going to retire in three months and also that the country has to go for general elections in almost the same time.
"And at this time, he makes such a recommendation on the basis of a BJP complaint. He understands it could have serious constitutional and political implications," Raja said, adding that this leads to "serious suspicion about the political
motivation."
Time has come for Parliament to discuss the power and functions of the EC as it has done in the matter of judges and their impeachment, he said.
Observing that two major political parties -- BJP and Congress -- have turned the EC into a "laughing stock", Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas demanded the intervention of President Pratibha Patil in the issue.
"Political motivation" behind Gopalaswami's recommendations against Chawla cannot be ruled out. "The president who is the supreme democratic authority should intervene in the matter," he said.
Taking strong objection to Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi's statement in London that elections could be held between April 8 and May 15, Biswas said how come such statements were made abroad when the EC is supposed to meet all political parties on February three to discuss the dates.
RSP leader Abani Roy too asked what was the motive of the CEC in making such "a suo motu recommendation".
"Chawla was appointed in 2006. Why is it that Gopalaswami waited for so long to recommend his removal now when elections are due and he (CEC) is himself going to retire," he said.
The Election Commission has to be neutral but now with these developments, its neutrality is coming under question, Roy said.
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