BRS wants CEC Gyanesh Kumar to step down, resign voluntarily

The BRS demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down, alleging controversial decisions and large-scale deletion of votes. Former MP B Vinod Kumar also criticised Rahul Gandhi over the anti-defection law and raised concerns over Telangana’s SIR process.

Hyderabad: Citing the nationwide debate over the controversial decisions of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) demanded that he step down and resign voluntarily.

Former MP B Vinod Kumar alleged that the Election Commission of India had unfairly deleted votes and said the impact was evident in the recent elections held in Bihar and West Bengal. He was speaking at a press conference here on Saturday.

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“The Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional body. It is not meant to determine who wins or who loses,” he said.

Vinod Kumar alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions had placed the Election Commission in a deplorable situation. He said the established process for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner under Article 324, which involved a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India, had been dismantled.

The Chief Justice’s position in the selection process was replaced with that of a Cabinet Minister, he alleged.

He said controversial decisions had tarnished the reputation of the Election Commission and there was a growing demand for the removal of the CEC. When ordinary citizens began harbouring doubts about the institution, the very survival of democracy was at stake, he said.

Recalling the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Vinod Kumar said demands were raised for her resignation and the people ultimately rejected her. He said such situations had arisen even in an era without modern mass media tools.

He urged the Prime Minister to take the allegations into account and immediately initiate steps to remove the Chief Election Commissioner.

“The Election Commission once commanded respect, but its standing has now deteriorated. The BRS strongly asserts that the CEC should step down,” Vinod Kumar said.

If the CEC failed to resign, the Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance of the matter and submit a report to the President, he said. The case concerning the appointment of the CEC was already pending before the Supreme Court, he added.

Targets Rahul Gandhi

The former BRS MP also came down heavily on Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of double standards.

“Rahul Gandhi has no respect for the Constitution. Why did Rahul not implement the anti-defection law, which was introduced by his father, Rajiv Gandhi, in Telangana?” he asked.

He termed the fielding of Danam Nagender, who was elected as an MLA representing the BRS, as a Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat “truly bizarre”. Such oddities were possible only with Rahul Gandhi, he said.

Vinod Kumar also expressed apprehensions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Telangana. He said problems were arising due to the inadequacy of Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

Votes had been deleted on a massive scale in constituencies won by the BRS, he alleged.

BRS general secretary Soma Bharat Kumar and BRS Legal Cell representative Lalitha Reddy participated in the press conference.