NEW DELHI, SEP 23 (PTI): Opposition parties on Wednesday demanded scrapping of the SIR exercise and mounted a fierce attack on CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that he was running the poll panel as a “one-man autocracy” and demanding his impeachment and arrest, after objections raised by election commissioners on the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists came into the open.
Two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, red-flagged issues relating to deletion of names under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raised objections to the decision-making process 14 times in the past few months, according to a report in Indian Express.
Reacting to it, the Election Commission asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution and all its orders “are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full Commission in the past one year”.
The opposition parties, which have been critical of the EC over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, latched onto the issue to demand immediate impeachment proceedings against CEC Kumar in Parliament. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reiterated his “vote chori” charge against the EC, terming it an act of treason and a crime against the people of India. “The BJP, RSS and EC who organised it have committed an act of treason. Justice will be served,” Gandhi said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal demanded that CEC Gyanesh Kumar be jailed and immediately removed from his post.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that on 24 April 2026, 73 opposition Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted a new Notice of Motion to the Secretary General to remove CEC Kumar. DMK president MK Stalin said CEC Kumar must resign from his post and claimed that he has no right to continue in office.
Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee demanded the arrest of CEC Kumar and sought fresh assembly polls in the state with the pre-SIR voter list.
Banerjee, in a Facebook live, alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission had “looted” the West Bengal Assembly polls held earlier this year. “There will be pan-India protests till Gyanesh Kumar remains CEC. He should be arrested and criminal proceedings initiated against him.”
Left parties also demanded removal of CEC Kumar and an immediate halt to SIR, with CPI(M) MP John Brittas writing to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her “urgent intervention.”
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, however, alleged that CEC Kumar has functioned as a “hatchet man” for Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, in turn, is the designated executor of the PM’s wishes.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow that governments formed during a period when the Election Commission was not functioning impartially were “unconstitutional”, and that the “interference” with the poll panel amounted to “trampling” democracy.
CPI(M) Politburo said revelations raise serious questions not just about the process, but more importantly about the integrity of ECI itself.
