Piyush Goyal Targets Congress Over Past Appointments of Election Officials

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has accused the Congress party of hypocrisy, highlighting a history of rewarding former election officials with political posts. His remarks follow a surge of opposition criticism directed at the Election Commission, specifically regarding the handling of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision drive.

Editorial·October 13, 2026·reads: 1,036

Piyush Goyal Targets Congress Over Past Appointments of Election Officials

Goyal pointed to several historical instances to challenge the opposition's current stance, noting that the Congress party previously fielded former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan against BJP leader LK Advani in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. He further alleged that MS Gill, while serving as CEC, was granted the Padma Vibhushan before joining the party and receiving a ministerial portfolio.

The minister also cited the appointments of RK Dwivedi as Governor of Gujarat shortly after his tenure and the elevation of Naveen Chawla to the role of CEC despite internal recommendations for his removal. These allegations surfaced as opposition leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, escalate their pressure on the current Election Commission. The INDIA bloc recently filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging electoral roll revisions, though the court registry has identified 14 procedural defects within their submission.