The Cabinet Secretariat acknowledged letters written by two Election Commissioners seeking action against a senior Election Commission of India (ECI) officer but refrained from taking direct action, citing concerns that such intervention could interfere with the functioning of an independent constitutional institution.
The development came to light through information disclosed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which provided details of the correspondence and the Cabinet Secretariat’s internal assessment of the matter.
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Election Commissioners Wrote to Cabinet Secretary
According to the information disclosed, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi wrote individual letters to Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan on July 29, 2026.
The letters reportedly raised complaints concerning Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg and sought action against him.
The correspondence was related to administrative issues within the Election Commission, including concerns over the allocation of responsibilities and the manner in which certain decisions were taken.
Cabinet Secretariat Cautious About Intervention
The Cabinet Secretariat acknowledged receipt of the communications. However, its internal file notings indicated that taking action on the basis of the individual letters could be considered inappropriate.
The Secretariat reportedly observed that the communications did not represent the Election Commission’s collective institutional position.
It also expressed concern that action taken by the executive government in response to such correspondence could be perceived as interference in the functioning of the Election Commission, which is an independent constitutional body.
The Secretariat therefore refrained from directly intervening in the matter.
Information Disclosed Through RTI
The details emerged through an RTI application filed by transparency advocate Commodore Lokesh K. Batra (Retired).
The information provided by the Cabinet Secretariat included internal file notings concerning the receipt and consideration of the letters.
The disclosure brought attention to the approach adopted by the Secretariat in dealing with complaints arising from within the Election Commission and the institutional considerations involved in responding to such communications.
Focus on Election Commission’s Institutional Independence
The matter highlights the distinction between individual communications made by Election Commissioners and decisions or representations reflecting the position of the Election Commission as a constitutional institution.
The Cabinet Secretariat’s response also reflects the sensitivity surrounding executive intervention in the administrative functioning of an independent constitutional body.
The RTI disclosure has brought the internal correspondence and the Secretariat’s assessment into the public domain, while the underlying complaints against the senior ECI officer remain a separate matter.
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