Chief Election Commissioner Faces Legal Challenges Over Voter Deletions

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is facing a series of legal challenges and criminal complaints alleging the illegal manipulation of electoral rolls across India. A petition filed in the Supreme Court of India seeks the criminal prosecution of Kumar and other officials, alleging he made unilateral decisions and software modifications without the concurrence of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The plea calls for a forensic audit into the alleged deletion of 13 crore voters across 30 states and union territories.

In Maharashtra, residents filed a petition with the Bombay High Court to quash 14 administrative orders issued by Kumar, claiming they were passed despite objections from other commissioners. The petitioners seek a stay on the Special Intensive Revision process and the postponement of State Assembly Elections until compliant rolls are approved. Simultaneously, two Mumbai businessmen petitioned the court for transparency regarding the methodology of the revision process.

Adding to the legal pressure, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against Kumar and BJP MLA Abhay Patil. The complaint accuses Patil of seeking the unlawful deletion of eligible voters and Kumar of presiding over arbitrary deletions. While the Election Commission of India has denied reports of institutional dissent, stating all final decisions were unanimous, the Supreme Court petition specifically names Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg and IT Director General Seema Khanna for alleged breaches of official duty.