Stories
Supreme Court to Hear Pleas Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Today Over Alleged Unilateral Decisions
- •The Supreme Court will hear petitions seeking the suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and challenging decisions allegedly made without the approval of other Election Commission members.
- •Petitions filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh and Shailendra Mani Tripathi question whether Kumar individually exercised powers meant for the multi-member Election Commission.
- •One key issue is the alleged alteration of Form 6 for voter registration through software changes without statutory amendment, which Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly objected to.
- •The pleas also raise concerns about the handling of electoral roll revisions in Goa and West Bengal, alleging unauthorized actions and appeals.
- •The petitions seek a declaration that decisions made without the full commission's concurrence are unconstitutional and void, and call for criminal proceedings against Kumar and other officials.
Key Questions Answered
The petitions filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh and Shailendra Mani Tripathi allege that CEC Gyanesh Kumar unilaterally exercised poll panel powers and altered Form 6 for voter registration without the concurrence or statutory approval of the other two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period against decisions and orders concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and changes to voter registration forms issued without their knowledge.
The petitions claim that in Goa, software lacked a feature to restore 97 eligible electors, while in West Bengal, over 16.10 lakh appeals were filed in the Election Commission's name against voters whose names had been restored by judicial officers without the other commissioners' awareness.
