Stories
Indian Opposition Demands Election Chief's Resignation Over Voter Roll Changes
- •Opposition leaders, student groups, and youth organisations marched in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter list revisions.
- •The protests focus on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with critics alleging the new rules could lead to eligible voters being excluded.
- •Prominent leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, and Abhishek Banerjee were detained by police during the demonstration.
- •Delhi Police deployed heavy security, barricades, and paramilitary personnel in central Delhi to block the march toward the Election Commission's office.
- •The Election Commission defended its voter roll process, stating that all decisions regarding the revision were taken unanimously by the commissioners.
Key Questions Answered
Opposition parties, student groups, and youth organisations are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They allege that changes to voter registration rules and verification requirements could lead to eligible and genuine voters being left out.
During the protest march in New Delhi, police detained several opposition leaders near the Election Commission's office. Those detained included Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The Election Commission has rejected all allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that its decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were approved unanimously by all commissioners. It has denied suggestions of an institutional split or a rift within the poll panel, despite media reports of objections raised by other election commissioners.
