Tejashwi Yadav slams EC over CEC appointment, calls it ‘BJP’s cheerleader’

Tejashwi Yadav (File photo)

NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav fired a sharp rebuke at the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday following the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the new chief election commissioner (CEC). Accusing the poll body of bias, Yadav claimed it had been reduced to a “cheerleader” for the ruling BJP.
“When two teams play a match, the umpire should be neutral. These days, we have cheerleaders in cricket matches, and similarly, the EC’s status has been reduced to that of a mere cheerleader,” Yadav told reporters.
He further alleged that the Election Commission is losing public trust, saying, “The EC’s credibility is getting dented election after election.” Taking to social media platform X, Yadav intensified his criticism, calling the poll body a “cancer for democracy and the Constitution.”

Recalling the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, the RJD leader accused the EC of delaying vote counting to manipulate results. “We were winning, but the counting was stopped and delayed. The final results were announced late at night, causing many of our candidates to narrowly lose. Several candidates challenged the decision in court, but the EC remained unaffected,” he said. He also vowed to remove Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from the election process if his party came to power at the Centre.
Yadav backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who also opposed Gyanesh Kumar’s appointment, calling it “executive overreach.”
Rahul Gandhi, as leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, had earlier criticised the government’s move, saying, “The decision to appoint the CEC while the matter is in the Supreme Court is disrespectful. It is my duty to protect the ideals of Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar and our Constitution.”
Gandhi alleged that the Centre pushed through the appointment just before a crucial Supreme Court hearing on electoral reforms and had previously rejected the government’s list of nominees, demanding an independent selection process free from political influence.