In response to concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, police have been stationed outside the Election Commission of India (ECI) office in New Delhi. The Delhi Congress is set to hold a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Additionally, the Indian Youth Congress is planning a protest march from 5, Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar on the designated day.

The demonstrations signify mounting political tensions surrounding the operations of the Election Commission. Reports suggest that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections over decisions related to the SIR process on at least fourteen occasions throughout a span of ten months.

Simultaneously, the Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress held a separate protest in Bhopal. Their demands echo those in Delhi, calling for Kumar’s resignation due to alleged irregularities in the SIR and the overall functioning of the Election Commission.

Nationwide Reactions and Online Campaigns

On a broader scale, the Indian Youth Congress has initiated a nationwide online petition titled “Gyanesh, It’s Done Bro”, appealing for action against Gyanesh Kumar. This campaign encourages public involvement, particularly among youth, to advocate for electoral transparency and accountability.

The petition also calls for Kumar’s removal as CEC and urges for his arrest, stating the need for a thorough investigation into the electoral roll processes. The campaign raises concerns about alleged connections between the electoral roll issues and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It also requests the release of electoral records, as well as information regarding internal objections raised within the Commission.

In Punjab, the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, is advocating for Kumar’s dismissal and the filing of a First Information Report against him and his alleged accomplices. Warring announced plans for a march to the Election Commission office in Chandigarh. The march is scheduled to take place at eleven in the morning on September 25, departing from a location near the Reserve Bank of India office.

Legal Actions and Impeachment Motion Considered

In Karnataka, the Pradesh Congress Committee has officially lodged a police complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and BJP MLA Abhay Patil, citing violations of citizens’ voting rights and attempts to manipulate electoral rolls. The complaint was submitted by KPCC General Secretary S Manohar at the High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru, highlighting allegations of voter deletions instigated by Patil.

Political opponents plan to file an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in both Houses of Parliament. Congress leaders have been in discussions with other opposition parties to advance this initiative, with expectations for the submission of the notice within the next two weeks. This effort follows growing controversy regarding the ECI’s operations and the SIR process.

Amid these developments, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has made allegations of election rigging in the lead-up to the upcoming elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He has called for Kumar’s resignation, asserting that the controversies represent a severe attack on India’s democratic framework.

In response to the increasing calls for accountability, the Election Commission has denied assertions that the objections raised by the Election Commissioners indicate systemic dissent. The ECI maintains that all final decisions, including those pertaining to SIR, were agreed upon unanimously within the organisational structure. The controversy surrounding the SIR and the internal function of the Election Commission is anticipated to be a significant topic at the upcoming Congress Working Committee meeting on September 29 in New Delhi.

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