Opposition Demands Removal of India's Chief Election Commissioner

Indian opposition parties are demanding the immediate removal, resignation, and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar following an Indian Express report alleging internal dysfunction within the Election Commission of India (ECI). The report claims that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that Kumar issued orders without their knowledge.

Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and Mamata Banerjee, have characterized the SIR process as "vote chori" (vote theft) and an act of treason. They allege the process was used to illegally delete approximately 13 crore voters across 30 states and Union Territories to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Specific allegations include the unauthorized amendment of voter registration Form 6 and the centralization of database controls in New Delhi to facilitate manipulation.

In response, the ECI has rejected claims of an institutional rift, asserting that all final decisions regarding the SIR were unanimous and that differing views during deliberations are a normal part of institutional checks-and-balances. The BJP has dismissed the controversy as a reflection of a healthy democracy and a mask for the opposition's electoral failures.

Protests have escalated across the country, with the Indian National Congress organizing marches to state election offices and the Cockroach Janta Party threatening nationwide agitations. Legal challenges have also emerged, with advocates seeking criminal contempt proceedings against Kumar for allegedly bypassing the required majority decision-making process. The Supreme Court is simultaneously reviewing the legality of the appointment process for election officials.