New Delhi: Opposition parties have stepped up their criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with demands ranging from his removal and impeachment to arrest, after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to several decisions linked to the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The report said the two Election Commissioners had recorded at least 14 objections over a 10-month period, including concerns about changes to Form 6 for new voters, additions and deletions from electoral rolls and the centralisation of voter-related software systems.
The findings triggered a fresh political confrontation over the functioning of the Election Commission, with several Opposition leaders questioning the poll panel’s independence and demanding action against the CEC.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the reported differences amounted to a breakdown in decision-making. In its response to the investigation, the poll body said differing views and observations were part of institutional deliberations and that decisions taken over the past year, including those relating to SIR, were unanimous decisions of the full Commission.
Rahul Gandhi renews ‘vote chori’ attack
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Election Commission following the report.
“Vote chori is a crime against the Indian people and a direct attack on our Constitution. The BJP, RSS and EC who organised it have committed an act of treason. Justice will be served,” Gandhi said in a post on Wednesday.
The Opposition has repeatedly questioned the SIR exercise, arguing that the revision of electoral rolls could result in eligible voters being excluded. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to verify and update electoral rolls.
The latest controversy centres on the reported differences within the three-member poll panel over how some electoral-roll decisions were handled.
Mamata demands arrest of CEC
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for Gyanesh Kumar’s arrest and demanded repolling in the state.
“This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue,” Banerjee said, while accusing the Election Commission of undermining constitutional and democratic institutions.
She also said a wider Opposition movement could be launched against the Election Commission and indicated that INDIA bloc leaders would discuss the issue.
The allegations made by Banerjee and other Opposition leaders are political claims and have not been established by a court.
Opposition cites reported objections
Congress leaders also reacted strongly to the Indian Express report.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari described Gyanesh Kumar as “compromised” and alleged that he was acting in favour of the BJP.
Former Union minister P Chidambaram questioned how the CEC could make a decision the decision of the Election Commission if two other commissioners had taken a contrary view.
He called for the decisions of the Election Commission in recent years to be reviewed by a parliamentary committee and demanded that the SIR process be suspended.
The Indian Express report said the objections by Sandhu and Joshi covered multiple areas, including the addition of new voters, deletion of names and changes to the systems used to maintain electoral databases. One report specifically said the two commissioners objected to changes made to Form 6, the application used by citizens seeking registration as voters.
Stalin calls for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also demanded that Gyanesh Kumar leave office.
Stalin said the DMK and other Opposition parties had previously opposed the SIR exercise, particularly its implementation ahead of elections in several states.
Referring to the reported objections, Stalin alleged that decisions had been taken without the knowledge or concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners. He said the issue could not be treated merely as an internal or procedural disagreement.
“The Election Commission is a three-member body whose business must, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously. Where the Commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, the decision must be based on the majority view,” Stalin said.
He also referred to an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar that the DMK said it had supported earlier this year and demanded that the SIR exercise be halted.
These statements represent the DMK’s position on the issue. The Election Commission has disputed the broader suggestion that its decisions were taken without the participation of the full Commission.
Akhilesh, Omar Abdullah question poll panel
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the reported differences raised questions about whether members of an independent constitutional body were able to perform their duties freely.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also said the developments raised questions about the functioning of the Election Commission.
“If people lose faith in elections, what remains of democracy?” Abdullah said, while calling for corrective action.
He also referred to earlier concerns raised by his party over delimitation and the functioning of the Election Commission.
Uddhav Thackeray seeks arrest
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray joined the Opposition demand for action against Gyanesh Kumar, calling for his removal and arrest.
Thackeray said the objections reportedly raised by Sandhu and Joshi supported concerns that the Opposition had previously expressed about the functioning of the Election Commission.
Congress leader Salman Soz also invoked an earlier exchange involving Gandhi and the CEC. Soz said that since Gyanesh Kumar had previously asked Gandhi either to apologise or submit an affidavit concerning his “vote chori” allegations, the CEC should now either resign or submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court regarding the Indian Express report.
Election Commission rejects suggestion of internal breakdown
The Election Commission has offered a different account of the developments.
Responding to the investigation, the poll body said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional deliberation before a final decision was taken.
It said the investigation highlighted selected internal notes from a 10-month period while leaving out what it described as a larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives. The Commission said it had taken numerous decisions and introduced around 40 initiatives and electoral reforms during the period, with all such decisions being unanimous decisions of the full Commission.
The reported objections therefore form part of an ongoing political and institutional dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the implementation of SIR. The Indian Express investigation has documented objections from two commissioners, while the Commission has said those observations were considered during its decision-making process.
With Opposition parties now demanding action against the CEC and the Election Commission defending its decision-making process, the dispute is likely to remain a major issue in the political debate over electoral-roll revisions and the independence of the poll panel.