Om Birla Vows Due Process for CEC Impeachment Motion

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on October 22 and 23, 2026, that any new impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will be scrutinized according to constitutional and parliamentary rules. Birla noted that the removal process for the CEC is identical to that of a Supreme Court judge.

The statement follows intensifying protests from the INDIA bloc and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The controversy deepened following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to SIR orders allegedly issued without their knowledge. The INDIA bloc has scheduled a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan for November 1 to demand the withdrawal of the SIR and Kumar's removal.

This is the third potential attempt to oust Kumar; a first attempt was rejected by both Houses of Parliament, while a second remains pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Bharatiya Janata Party has dismissed the protests as a conspiracy to seize power by spreading anarchy. Conversely, Indian National Congress leaders argue the government is mischaracterizing democratic opposition as anti-national activity. Separately, Birla stated he would expedite a decision regarding the disqualification of 20 rebel TMC MPs who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India.