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INDIA bloc holds 'public impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar: six charges, resolution passed by show of hands
The INDIA bloc held a symbolic 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Kharge's residence on 31 October. Meira Kumar presided and a six-charge resolution passed by show of hands. The BJP called it melodrama; a Ramlila Maidan rally follows on 1 November.
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The INDIA bloc held a symbolic 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, 31 October, at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi. It was run as a mock Parliament. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided, Kharge moved a resolution that listed six charges, and after Rahul Gandhi's speech she put it to a vote and declared it passed when the opposition members present raised their hands. The BJP called the event melodrama. The bloc's Dilli Chalo rally at Ramlila Maidan is on Sunday, 1 November.
The six charges
The resolution, as reported, accuses the Chief Election Commissioner of:
- Taking part in a conspiracy to manipulate electoral outcomes through additions to and deletions from voter lists.
- Overseeing the alleged deletion of 13.2 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision of the rolls.
- Changing Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, without parliamentary oversight, which the opposition says could make it harder for first-time voters to register.
- Centralising the management of rolls through the ERONET and ECINET systems, which reduces the role of local Electoral Registration Officers.
- Excluding the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions despite their objections, with at least 14 objections recorded, according to one report.
- Compromising the Commission's independence by denying the opposition a fair hearing and acting at the ruling establishment's behest. One report also lists inaction on disqualifications and assaults, and benefits to Kumar's family.
The resolution demanded his immediate removal and argued that the 2023 law on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner shields him from accountability. Kharge said that the bloc unanimously demands his removal, a halt to the revision and a change in the 2023 law.
Who spoke
Twenty-one INDIA bloc parties took part, according to one report. Sonia Gandhi, Kapil Sibal, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD and Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP attended, along with MPs from several parties, civil society representatives and student leaders.
| Speaker | Party | What they said |
|---|---|---|
| Rahul Gandhi | Congress | Claimed 13.3 crore voters, about 15% of the electorate, were deleted; said Kumar is not going to survive and the opposition will not let him escape |
| Mallikarjun Kharge | Congress | Moved the resolution; said Kumar acts at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister; said 193 opposition MPs submitted a removal notice seven months ago, which was rejected |
| Meira Kumar | Congress | Presided; said that if even one voter is denied the vote, the soul of democracy is hurt |
| Sagarika Ghose | TMC | Alleged a Modi, Shah, Gyanesh nexus and that the West Bengal elections were stolen |
| Arvind Sawant | Shiv Sena (UBT) | Questioned Maharashtra election figures; said requested CCTV footage was not provided |
| John Brittas | CPI(M) | Said he needed two hearings to establish his own voter eligibility |
| Yogendra Yadav | Swaraj India | Said Kumar had damaged the Commission's credibility |
Voters who said their names were deleted despite submitting documents also spoke. Individual MPs went further than the resolution: RJD's Abhay Kushwaha called for a treason case, CPI(ML) Liberation's Sudama Prasad for his prosecution for treason and JMM's Baidyanath Ram for a sedition case. Kushwaha said about 47 lakh names were deleted in Bihar's revision and about 13.2 crore nationally.
Why it is symbolic
A Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through a motion passed by a special majority in both Houses of Parliament. One report says that a motion needs the signatures of at least 100 Lok Sabha members and 50 Rajya Sabha members to be admitted, and that removal then needs a two-thirds majority in both Houses, and it adds that the leaders know they lack the numbers. Earlier removal notices from the opposition were rejected by the presiding officers.
The BJP called the mock Parliament melodrama, according to a headline on the news agency report. The reports found do not carry the BJP's detailed arguments or any response from the Election Commission. Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier dared Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav to bring their allegations to a special session of Parliament.
The bloc plans a rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, 1 November, where it is expected to demand the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation. The reports found do not give any other formal next step beyond the demand for removal.
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