Stories
Why Calls to Oust India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Are Growing
- •Opposition MPs led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge held a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission of India headquarters, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
- •Protestors chanted slogans and carried placards reading 'Gyanesh, It's Done Bro!' while police briefly detained several leaders including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
- •Calls for Kumar's ouster intensified after former civil servants issued a letter of impeachment accusing him of violating universal adult franchise principles.
- •The controversy stems from the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which allegedly resulted in millions of voters being removed.
- •Tensions further escalated following media reports that fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected to several decisions made without their knowledge.
Key Questions Answered
Opposition MPs are demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar due to a crisis of trust surrounding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which critics claim led to a massive removal of voters. Additionally, fellow commissioners raised objections that decisions were issued without their knowledge, and opposition parties have accused him of partisan behavior and favoring the ruling party.
A total of 193 opposition MPs signed the impeachment notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, comprising 130 members from the Lok Sabha and 63 members from the Rajya Sabha.
The impeachment notice and removal motion brought by the opposition against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were rejected by the parliamentary authorities, including a formal dismissal in the Rajya Sabha by the chairman.
