Opposition attacks CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR, demands removal

A report on objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over aspects of the Special Intensive Revision has triggered a political storm, with Opposition leaders demanding action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the EC defending its decisions

New Delhi: Expansive red flags raised by two Election Commissioners within the poll panel over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists triggered a massive political storm on Wednesday, with the Opposition accusing CEC Gyanesh Kumar of indulging in “one-man autocracy” and demanding his removal.

Officials said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had flagged multiple issues, including deletion of names, in various states during the voter roll cleanup, but the poll body was unanimous in its decisions related to the pan-India SIR of voter lists.

---

The reactions poured in after a report in The Indian Express revealed that questions were raised over issues related to the SIR of electoral rolls within the three-member Election Commission (EC) itself, time and again by two of the three Election Commissioners.

The national rollout of the SIR has been under the supervision of all three Commissioners. But Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected, on record, at least 14 times over the last 10 months — four times on a single day — to decisions taken and orders issued, they said, without their knowledge, the report in the English daily said. The Indian Express reported that the objections covered issues including voter additions and deletions, changes to Form 6 and the centralisation of electoral-roll data.

The Election Commission, however, has said that all decisions related to the SIR were taken unanimously and that differences of view during the decision-making process did not amount to dissent.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared a screenshot of the media report on X.

Ramesh said that on behalf of the party, his colleague Abhishek Singhvi would speak in detail to the media on the “sensational revelations” made in the leading national newspaper about the way “the CEC has destroyed the credibility and integrity of the Election Commission of India”.

Tagging his post on 73 Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha submitting to its secretary general a fresh notice for moving a motion for the removal of Kumar earlier this year, he said, “This was on April 24, 2026. It is still pending with the Honble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. It has not been prorogued!”

Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal said there was no doubt remaining that Kumar had no right to remain in office.

“How the hell can one man, acting on His Master’s orders, strike off names at whim? How can he sideline fellow Constitutional officers to only take blatantly illegal steps that put our democracy in danger?” he said.

“The right to vote is an essential Constitutional power given to every citizen, the fundamental bedrock of our democracy. If it is to be taken away, due process must be followed with utmost probity,” he said.

“Today, when we are staring at crores of genuine voters being excluded and a similar number of bogus voters being added to the rolls, it is clear that Gyanesh Kumar was the Chief Architect of the nationwide ‘Vote Chori’ exercise, with the Modi top brass pulling the strings,” he alleged.

“We demand Gyanesh Kumar’s immediate removal and a Supreme Court-monitored impartial investigation to expose the rot that has destroyed the ECI’s credibility,” Venugopal said.

If Kumar remained in office, the people of India would come forward and make sure that democracy was not destroyed by a mere bureaucrat, he added.

Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera lashed out at Kumar, saying he was “planted” and being “protected” by the BJP to hollow out the Election Commission of India from within.

“It was already known that things were not exactly well within the ECI. But just how messy, dysfunctional and, frankly, disturbing things had become is laid bare by this brilliant expose by @IndianExpress,” he said on X.

Kumar had to be the single most sold-out bureaucrat of the Modi era who had disenfranchised crores of Indians, and he must face the law, he alleged.

Congress MP Manish Tewari also reacted to the media report, saying that if the ostensible facts as reported were correct, then it seemed to suggest that there was an “invisible hand” running the Election Commission.

“If rules were not allegedly followed and decisions were taken that were not unanimous or by majority, then all the decisions of @ECISVEEP are per se arbitrary and capricious, if not completely illegal,” Tewari said on X.

“This is perhaps a fit case for seriously considering an impeachment proceeding but more importantly the fundamental question is as to how will the credibility of @ECISVEEP ever be resurrected,” he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal demanded Kumar’s suspension and the filing of an FIR to probe who was behind his actions.

Former chief election commissioner O P Rawat said changes to the statutory voter registration Form 6 were “absolutely wrong and illegal”, while describing revelations of differences within the Election Commission as “very serious” and “unfortunate”.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas said this was no longer an Election Commission but a “one-man autocracy” under CEC Kumar.

“Two Election Commissioners have formally objected 14 times in 10 months. They branded the addition of new voters and mass deletion ‘unauthorised and illegal’. They recorded objections to secret deletions, restorations, and Form 6 changes that harass young first-time voters — all while being kept in the dark,” he said.

“This is the open subversion of the EC and our democracy too,” Brittas said.

“Parliament must immediately start the process for the removal of the CEC. We had in fact submitted a notice for removal on 24th April, 2026 as per the constitutional stipulations — solid grounds and around 70 members signing (50 in the stipulated number),” he said.

The Constitution provides this power for precisely such moments of institutional capture and subversion, he said.

“The Supreme Court must annul the entire SIR process without delay. When two of the three Commissioners put on record that the exercise is illegal and destructive of the electoral roll’s integrity, judicial silence becomes complicity,” Brittas said.

“What Kumar is doing is the death knell of a democratic nation,” he said.

“Remove the CEC. Strike down the SIR. Or accept that free and fair elections in India are already being buried,” the CPI(M) MP said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also cited the media report and said, “A-Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail! He will have to go! His masters will flee the country and run away!”

TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said on X, “Five months ago, 60+ Rajya Sabha MPs (50 needed) wrote to Chairman RS moving Motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar. After big news break today that two Election Commissioners objected to many of CEC’s actions, it’s time to bring out the RS Motion today. Impeach CEC to save democracy”.