Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has submitted a dissent note after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on the appointment of the chief information commissioner (CIC), sources said.

The CIC's post has been vacant since September after the retirement of Heeralal Samariya. Only two out of 10 posts of information commissioners have been filled. The one-and-a-half-hour meeting reportedly took place at the Prime Minister's chamber in Parliament.

While speaking on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Rahul had asked why the Chief Justice was removed from the selection panel for the appointment of the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners.

"Why is it that the CJI was removed from the selection panel for (appointing) the election commissioners? What motivation could there be to remove the CJI?" he had said. "It is a so-called democratic decision. On one side, there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. On the other side, the leader of the Opposition. I have no voice in that room. What they decide is what happens."

Rahul's dissent note on the appointment of the CIC seems to stem from the same concern. Earlier, election commissioners were appointed by the President on the recommendation of the appointments committee of the cabinet, without any role for the LoP. However, the Supreme Court called for a system where the Prime Minister, the LoP and the CJI would be part of the panel to free the Election Commission from executive control until the Centre passes a law, which it did in 2023.