SANA

NEW DELHI: Election Commissioner Navin Chawla said he would not resign while the government on Saturday indicated that Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami’s recommendation to remove him will be “examined” and “could not be rushed through”. “The CEC’s recommendation will be examined and the government’s response will be made available in due course,” said external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, reacting to the controversy. Echoing similar views, Union home minister P. Chidambaram, too, said that all election commissioners hold constitutional posts to which the Constitution prescribes the term. “No one can disturb them,” he said. The government’s response is seen as an indication that it is unlikely to act against Mr Chawla so close to the general elections. The file will be queued along with other matters requiring attention and will be taken up for examination when its turn comes. CEC Gopalaswami is due to retire on April 20 this year. Mr Chawla is likely to succeed him given his seniority over the other election commissioner, Mr S.Y. Quraishi.

According to sources, the recommendation, which was sent some time ago to President Pratibha Patil, was passed on to the Prime Minister’s Office, which has referred the matter to law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj.

Questioning the timing of the recommendation, Congress sources suggested there could be a possible motive behind the moves. Political watchers said the issue has the potential to kick up a political storm with the next general elections just a couple of months away.

The recommendation is a first by a CEC in the six-decade history of the Election Commission. While CEC Gopalaswami refused to comment on his recommendation, terming it a secret document, election commissioner Navin Chawla ruled out his resignation.

“Why should I resign? We will work together for the next general elections. I am not aware of the CEC’s communication,” said Mr Chawla.

Even as the controversy took on a political colour with the main Opposition BJP asking for Mr Chawla’s scalp, the Congress defended the election commissioner.

It may be recalled that the BJP had taken the appointment of Mr Chawla to the Supreme Court but later withdrew its complaint on the apex court’s directive referring the matter back to the CEC.

Following this, around eight months ago, over 180 NDA MPs had lodged a written complaint with the CEC accusing Mr Chawla of being “partial” in his official conduct and being “biased” in favour of the Congress.

“We feel the Central government has no discretion in the matter. It is bound by the Constitution to act on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner,” said BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley.

Terming Mr Chawla’s conduct as “impartial”, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said, “We criticise the BJP’s attempt to politicise this constitutional authority. We don’t know the content of the CEC’s letter. We hope the government will take appropriate action in the matter.”

Differences between the CEC and Mr Chawla had also cropped up before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections last year with Mr Gopalaswami not being in favour of polls to meet the January 10, 2009 deadline for Governor’s Rule in the border state, polarised after the Amarnath land transfer controversy.

Constitutional experts, too, criticised CEC Gopalaswami for creating a crisis as it could make people seek a motive behind the move.