New Delhi: Demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have intensified following reports of internal objections by two Election Commissioners over decisions concerning electoral rolls and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with Opposition parties preparing a fresh removal motion in Parliament.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the two Election Commissioners objected to several decisions and orders that they alleged were taken or issued without their knowledge. The reported objections related to new voter registration, deletion and restoration of names from electoral rolls, appeals concerning voters, the handling of electoral-roll data and changes to the Election Commission’s IT systems.
The latest development came after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by Abhijeet Dipke, on Thursday demanded that Kumar resign within 48 hours and warned of a nationwide agitation, including what it described as “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, if he did not step down. The group also called for restoration of pre-SIR electoral rolls and an independent process for appointing Election Commissioners with participation from civil society.
Opposition parties are separately preparing to submit fresh notices in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seeking Kumar’s removal. An earlier notice submitted by Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha on April 24 remains pending. Congress has also been reaching out to other Opposition parties for a coordinated move on the issue.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has demanded Kumar’s resignation and alleged that the electoral process was being undermined. The BJP has rejected Gandhi’s allegations and criticised his claims. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Gandhi termed Kumar a “traitor” and demanded his resignation. He said warned that his party would not remain silent and watch India’s democracy “being destroyed”.
Congress Party has intensified its campaign against the CEC, with its Delhi unit putting up posters demanding his removal. The party has also sought coordinated action by Opposition parties in Parliament.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has also demanded Kumar’s resignation, alleging that those responsible for the reported differences within the Election Commission should step down.
The CJP has also called for the Opposition to consider not participating in elections if it believes the process remains “rigged”, while demanding restoration of the earlier electoral rolls and changes to the system for selecting Election Commissioners. These are demands made by the organisation and do not constitute findings by the Election Commission or any court.
According to the Indian Express report, the two Commissioners — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — had, in several instances, objected to decisions or communications issued in the name of the Election Commission without what they said was their knowledge or approval. One written objection by Sandhu described an action taken against the written advice of the two Commissioners as “unauthorised and illegal”.
The reported disagreements included changes to Form 6, which is used by people seeking registration as voters. Joshi reportedly objected to a new declaration linked to the previous SIR, arguing that the statutory form could not be changed without amendments to the relevant rules. Sandhu subsequently supported the objection.
Sandhu and Joshi also raised concerns about the management and access of electoral-roll databases. The Indian Express report said they questioned the gradual centralisation of the electoral-roll database and raised concerns about new modules and portals being developed by the Election Commission’s IT division. They also questioned the authority behind appeals filed in West Bengal against orders concerning voters.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections demonstrate a breakdown within the poll panel. In a statement, the ECI said it had not disputed the existence of the internal notes but maintained that the decisions taken over the past 10 months, including those relating to SIR, were unanimous. It described differing views and observations as a normal part of institutional deliberation and said focusing on selected internal notes presented only one part of the decision-making process. The statement was signed by all three members of the Commission.
The controversy comes amid the nationwide SIR exercise, under which electoral rolls are being revised and verified. The reported internal objections have brought renewed attention to the procedures governing decisions within the three-member Election Commission, the administration of electoral-roll data and the safeguards surrounding changes to voter lists.
The dispute remains politically contested, with Opposition parties questioning the functioning of the poll panel, while the ECI maintains that its decisions have been unanimous and that internal differences are part of normal institutional deliberation.
