Thiruvananthapuram: Explosive allegations have surfaced against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with former Kerala chief secretary and senior IAS officer Jiji Thomson claiming that Kumar had actively encouraged him to enter politics on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

Speaking to a prominent Malayalam news channel, Thomson revealed that the conversation took place in 2016 aboard a flight to Delhi, while he was serving as Chief Secretary of Kerala and Kumar was posted as an official in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
 

‘Become an MP, become a minister’

According to Thomson, the offer was extended during a casual discussion about his post-retirement plans.

“We shared a good professional friendship while in service. He asked me about my plans after retirement. I replied that I was planning initiatives to secure my children’s future. He then suggested that I contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a BJP candidate, become an MP, then a minister, and progress through political life. I rejected the proposal on the spot.”

Thomson stated that Kumar specifically suggested he contest from the Pathanamthitta constituency in the 2019 general elections.


Political implications amid ECI scrutiny

The claim comes at a precarious moment for Gyanesh Kumar, who is already facing intense political backlash and national opposition criticism over his neutrality and administrative conduct as Chief Election Commissioner. Opposition parties have seized upon Thomson’s disclosures as evidence of political leanings held by the chief of India's top constitutional poll body.