Thomson, who served as Kerala's chief secretary from 2014 to 2016, claims that during a 2016 flight to Delhi he was asked by then‑IAS Gyanesh Kumar to run as a BJP candidate from Pathanamthitta, an offer he promptly rejected.
Kumar, a 1988‑batch IAS officer and IIT Kanpur alumnus, was appointed chief election commissioner in February 2025, amid scrutiny over his earlier political recruitment allegations.
The commission's SIR reforms have sparked protest, with two commissioners lodging 14 objections over the past year, citing unilateral decisions on voter roll changes.
Rahul Gandhi accused Kumar of being a BJP recruiter, while BJP president Nitin Gadkari dismissed the claims as a political ploy.
Opposition parties now demand Kumar's resignation; the Election Commission will convene a meeting on October 5 to respond to the fresh allegations.