Guwahati, Feb 3: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has labelled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “hypocrite” following the latter’s demand for a “transparent selection” process for Election Commissioners.

Sarma’s remarks came in response to Gandhi’s statement during a Lok Sabha debate on Monday, where he questioned the removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection committee for Election Commissioners.

In his response, Sarma accused the Congress of political posturing; pointing out that during the Congress-led governments in the past, the appointment of Election Commissioners was made solely by the ruling party, without any transparency.

“If the Congress truly believed in democratic integrity, why didn’t they implement these reforms in their decades of power? This hypocrisy highlights their political posturing—preaching transparency now after years of opaque governance. The people of India can no longer be misled by such double standards. Practice what you preach before demanding trust," Sarma wrote on a micro-blogging platform.

The controversy erupted after Gandhi raised concerns about the changes in the selection process for the Election Commissioners.

The LoP expressed displeasure over the removal of the CJI from the panel, which previously included the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the CJI for the appointment of Election Commissioners.

Gandhi argued that this shift meant the committee was now unbalanced, with only the Prime Minister and Home Minister having the majority, reducing the scope for discussion.

Speaking during the debate, Gandhi also criticised the timing of the replacement of the Election Commissioner just before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Just before the Lok Sabha polls, the election commissioner was changed, and two new election commissioners were appointed. These are facts and not something I am inventing," Gandhi remarked, suggesting potential concerns over the independence of the commission.

In addition, Gandhi also pointed out irregularities in voter registration in Maharashtra, where he claimed nearly 70 lakh new voters had been added between the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. He highlighted that the number of new voters registered in just five months was higher than in the five years after the last Lok Sabha election.

Gandhi specifically mentioned the addition of over 7,000 voters in a single building in Shirdi. “Something is problematic in all this,” Gandhi said, urging the Election Commission to provide the data on voter additions and deletions.