Gyanesh Kumar Offered Me BJP Ticket: Ex-Kerala CS Jiji Thomson

In a revelation that has stirred political circles, a former Chief Secretary of Kerala has alleged that the country’s current Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, once acted as a political recruiter for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The explosive disclosure, made to a Malayalam daily, comes at a time when the CEC is already under intense scrutiny and facing nationwide opposition protests over his alleged bias and administrative style.

According to Jiji Thomson, who served as Kerala’s top bureaucrat between 2015 and 2016, the offer was made during a flight to Delhi. Thomson claimed that Kumar, known for his proximity to the BJP leadership, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity before making a direct political overture.

“He openly asked if I was interested in contesting as a BJP candidate from the Pathanamthitta constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” Thomson revealed. “While he was quite persuasive, I politely and promptly declined the offer.”

Thomson noted that Kumar approached him after learning that other political factions had also been scouting the veteran bureaucrat for an electoral debut. For the opposition parties, Thomson's claim reinforces their accusation of him being a BJP stooge. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi recently alleged that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah handpicked Kumar for the CEC role to serve the ruling party's interests. The timing of the revelation could not be worse for the CEC, as Kumar is already facing a severe credibility crisis following an investigative exposé by a national newspaper, along with fierce criticism from opposition parties over the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter roll exercise. Nationwide protests are already underway, demanding his immediate resignation.

While Kumar is now a powerful figure in Delhi, this isn’t his first brush with high-profile controversy. Before moving to central deputation, the 1988 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer held several key portfolios in the southern state, including Finance, Resources, and Public Works Department Secretary. Former Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac recently reminded the public of a darker chapter in Kumar’s state career. Nearly two decades ago, Kumar’s name appeared in a suicide note left by a Malaysian project officer heading a major highway venture in Kerala. Before taking his own life in Kuala Lumpur, the officer alleged systemic corruption, mismanagement, and harassment by top PWD officials—prominently naming Kumar, who was the PWD Secretary at the time.

As the political storm intensifies, the revelation that a sitting CEC allegedly pitched BJP candidacies while in civil service raises serious questions about the independence of the institution tasked with safeguarding the country’s democracy.