The political confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission intensified on Tuesday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing the Congress Working Committee meeting, Kharge accused the CEC of acting in favour of the ruling BJP and questioned the transparency of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. He also cited reported differences within the poll panel and placed a five-point set of demands before the party leadership.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has stepped up his attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of compromising the independence of the Election Commission and demanding that he be removed from office immediately.
Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday, Kharge alleged that the CEC had been acting in a manner that benefited the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He described Gyanesh Kumar as a “puppet” of the Modi government and argued that he had lost the moral authority to continue in the post.
Kharge’s remarks came against the backdrop of the continuing political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have been questioning the manner in which voter lists are being revised, particularly over the deletion of names and the procedures available to affected voters.
Referring to a recent report by The Indian Express, Kharge claimed that Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had on several occasions raised objections to aspects of the SIR exercise and decisions taken by the CEC. According to Kharge, such reported differences within the three-member commission raised serious questions about the functioning of the constitutional body.
“Two Election Commissioners themselves have described the CEC's actions as arbitrary and improper,” Kharge said.
He further alleged that the CEC's actions had consistently favoured the ruling party. Kharge said that, under such circumstances, Gyanesh Kumar had “no right to remain in office” and should be removed without delay.
The Congress chief also accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address concerns surrounding electoral rolls. He alleged that voters were being removed from the lists and argued that the entire revision exercise should be subjected to greater public scrutiny.
At the CWC meeting, Kharge outlined five demands that he said were necessary to restore confidence in the electoral process. He called for complete disclosure of data relating to changes in electoral rolls, including information on deletions. He also demanded that every voter whose name has been removed should have an effective opportunity to appeal.
Another demand was that political parties should receive electoral rolls in a simple and accessible format within sufficient time. Kharge also sought an independent and time-bound investigation wherever serious irregularities are detected.
The Congress president further insisted that the electoral process must be made more transparent so that political parties and voters do not feel that relevant information is being withheld.
Kharge extended his criticism to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, alleging that the Prime Minister had exerted pressure on the Election Commission. He said Modi should resign on “moral grounds” over what he described as pressure on the CEC.
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