Maharashtra Congress protests over SIR, seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

The Maharashtra Congress held protests across the state over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The party accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP, sought action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and submitted memoranda to officials

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Monday held protests across the state seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what the party claimed were irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the alleged biased functioning of the Election Commission of India.

The Congress alleged that the CEC and the ECI were acting on behalf of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

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The ECI and the CEC have been criticised by Opposition parties following an Indian Express report that claimed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders regarding the SIR. These parties have accused Kumar of taking unilateral decisions in favour of the ruling establishment.

Protests were held in Mumbai and other districts, including Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Nagpur, Amravati, Thane, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nanded, Latur, Beed, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Dharashiv, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Jalna, Parbhani, Palghar, Nandurbar, Bhandara and Akola.

Congress workers submitted memoranda to district collectors seeking action against Kumar.

In Amravati, protesters took out a procession carrying an effigy of Kumar on a donkey, while in Thane, the effigy was made to perform sit-ups, the party said in a statement.

In Nagpur, Congress workers staged demonstrations at Samvidhan Square and marched towards the collectorate.

Nagpur city Congress president Prafulla Gudadhe told reporters that Kumar was acting on behalf of the BJP. “This is an attack on democracy and an attack on the right to vote,” he alleged.

Senior party leaders, including former minister and Maharashtra Legislative Council Congress group leader Satej Patil, MPs Praniti Shinde, Balwant Wankhade, Kalyan Kale, Pratibha Dhanorkar, Ravindra Chavan and Shivaji Kalge, former minister Yashomati Thakur and former MP Kumar Ketkar, took part in protests in various districts.

The Congress alleged that the ECI had manipulated electoral rolls to benefit the BJP and claimed that its concerns had been corroborated by written objections raised by two election commissioners.

It also alleged that 13 crore voters had been removed from electoral rolls across the country through the SIR exercise.

The party cited Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s earlier allegations concerning the ECI and said its agitation would continue until Kumar was removed from office and action was taken against him.