Congress will oppose the amendment to the Bill regulating the appointments for the Chief Election Commission and Other Election Commissions in the upcoming special session of Parliament on the grounds that it will compromise on the independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The party, which held its working committee meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, also rejected the ‘One Nation, one Election’ proposal saying it was against the federal structure of the country and the BJP simply wanted to create false narratives and divert attention from more pressing issues.

At the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the BJP for resorting to coinage of new slogans whenever his party raised serious issues like inflation.

Later, speaking to the media, Congress MP P Chidambaram said that the party has received no response to the nine issues cited by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi in her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which they felt should be taken up for discussion.

“The only agenda that attracted my attention was a Bill to amend the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner’s Appointment Act which actually destroys the independence of the election commission. We will oppose that Bill,” said Chidambaram.

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Bill, 2023 is all set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha in the upcoming session. He called it a “damaging” one which will reduce the status of the EC apart from undermining its independence.

Chidambaram further said that the Congress also rejected the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal floated by the BJP. “One Nation, One Election” is an assault on the Constitution. We reject it. It is an attack on federalism. It will require five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows it does not have the numbers to pass this Constitutional Amendments. Yet if it puts forward this mirage of one nation one election it is to divert attention from pressing issues and false narratives.

Apart from this main resolution, other resolutions taken up on the occasion include the killings in Manipur and a demand to declare the devastation in Himachal Pradesh a national disaster.

Chidambaram complained that the Centre was disturbing the states ruled by parties other than BJP citing the FCI turning down the Karnataka government’s proposal to sell rice and no Central funds to Himachal Pradesh for relief and rehabilitation after disaster struck the state. The second phase of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ too was proposed by members and the committee was working on it.

In his speech, Congress President Kharge demanded that the process of the 2021 census should be started immediately along with the caste census. He accused the Modi Government of allowing “the fire of Manipur to reach Nuh in Haryana”.

The CWC will take up preparations for the elections in five states, including Telangana, tomorrow at an extended meeting of the CWC which will be followed by a public rally in the evening.