India Supreme Court to Hear Plea Suspending Election Chief

The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a series of petitions on October 5 seeking the suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The pleas, filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh and advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, allege that Kumar bypassed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to unilaterally implement software changes and guidelines for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Petitioners claim that Sandhu and Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections between October 2025 and August 2026. The allegations include the unauthorized modification of Form 6 and the deletion of 13 crore names across 30 states and union territories. Additionally, the pleas highlight the filing of 16.10 lakh appeals in West Bengal without the knowledge of the other commissioners and software failures in Goa that prevented the restoration of 97 eligible electors.

The Election Commission of India has defended its processes, stating that all orders follow established statutory procedures. The commission characterized the differing views among its members as a normal part of institutional deliberations.