The political confrontation over the Election Commission spilled onto the streets Friday as Indian Youth Congress workers marched to Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while similar demonstrations were held in several states over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The protests came amid opposition allegations of irregularities in the SIR process and reports that the Election Commission’s two other members had repeatedly raised objections over decisions concerning electoral rolls.
Security was tightened around Jantar Mantar and other parts of central Delhi as protesters gathered with placards and slogans targeting the CEC. The demonstrations followed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s call for Kumar to step down, while the Election Commission and BJP have rejected allegations of electoral manipulation and maintained that the poll panel’s final decisions were unanimous.
Protests spread beyond Delhi
Youth Congress workers marched from Raisina Road towards Jantar Mantar as part of the party’s nationwide agitation. Congress units also organised demonstrations in several states, including Assam, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, with the party seeking Kumar’s removal and an independent examination of decisions taken during the electoral-roll revision exercise.
Police action was reported during some of the demonstrations outside Delhi, including the use of water cannons as protesters attempted to push through barricades. The Congress had directed its state units to organise marches Friday, with district-level protests also planned as the party sought to sustain pressure on the Election Commission.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded Kumar’s resignation, widening the opposition mobilisation against the CEC. Moitra had a day earlier lodged a police complaint against Kumar, alleging procedural violations and manipulation of electoral rolls, charges that have not been established and have been contested by the Election Commission.
Internal objections fuel political storm
The immediate trigger for the intensified protests was a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the previous 10 months to decisions and instructions concerning electoral-roll revision. The reported disagreements involved issues including the SIR, deletion and restoration of voter names, registration of new voters and access to electoral data.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that these differences represented a split within the three-member body. It has maintained that observations and disagreements are part of institutional deliberations and that final decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously.
The BJP has also rejected the Opposition’s allegations, arguing that the reported internal exchanges do not establish electoral wrongdoing. Party leaders have questioned attempts to portray deliberations within a multi-member constitutional body as evidence that elections or voter rolls were manipulated.
Rahul demands CEC’s exit
Rahul Gandhi Thursday intensified his attack on Kumar, demanding his resignation and accusing him of undermining the constitutional relationship between elections and democracy. He also asked the CEC to “turn approver” and alleged that decisions involving electoral rolls were part of a wider attempt to influence election outcomes, claims rejected by the BJP.
The Congress has demanded an independent review of decisions and electoral-roll changes made under Kumar. Opposition parties have also begun gathering signatures for a fresh move seeking the CEC’s removal, with senior leaders expected to back the initiative in Parliament.
The BJP has countered that the Election Commission’s decisions were unanimous and said there was no evidence establishing the Opposition’s allegations. It has accused the Congress of attempting to discredit the electoral process after unfavourable political outcomes.
Pressure builds around poll panel
The controversy has also affected the CEC’s scheduled public engagements. Two youth-focused voter awareness programmes involving Kumar in Uttar Pradesh were postponed, although Election Commission officials said the changes were prompted by logistical considerations and had no connection with the ongoing controversy.
The SIR row has now developed into one of the sharpest political confrontations surrounding the Election Commission in recent years. With opposition parties taking their campaign from press conferences to street protests and the poll panel standing by its decision-making process, the dispute over voter rolls and the functioning of the Commission is set to remain at the centre of the political battle.