Rahul Gandhi Calls for ECI Chief’s Resignation
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, September 24, demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a report alleging differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Gandhi’s remarks came a day after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period to decisions and orders issued by the poll panel. According to the report, some of the objections concerned decisions that the two commissioners said were taken without their knowledge.
The reported disagreements relate largely to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and other issues involving voter registration and deletion. The two commissioners reportedly questioned changes to the voter-registration process, access to electoral-roll databases and the filing of appeals concerning voters in West Bengal.
In one instance, the commissioners reportedly objected to changes made to Form 6, which is used by citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The report said one commissioner described the change as “unauthorised and illegal” and called for its removal. They also raised concerns about the possibility of greater centralisation of access to electoral-roll databases.
Gandhi used the report to call for Kumar to step down. He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were connected to what he described as a wider “vote theft” conspiracy. Gandhi said that the political leadership would face investigation over its alleged role. These are political allegations made by Gandhi and have not been established as findings of a court or investigative agency.
The Congress leader also warned that his party would organise protests if the Chief Election Commissioner did not resign. His comments came during a press conference in which he questioned the functioning of the electoral system and referred to the reported disagreements within the three-member commission.
The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions are taken according to the law and the procedures governing the commission. The issue has also drawn a response from the BJP, which defended the ECI’s SIR process and said decisions of the commission are based on the majority view.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned the basis of the Indian Express report, pointing out that it did not contain on-record or off-record comments from the two Election Commissioners. He also argued that the three commissioners had continued to appear together at public briefings despite the reported internal objections.
Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, the Election Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The law states that the commission’s business should, as far as possible, be conducted unanimously, while differences of opinion are decided by majority.
The controversy comes amid continuing political and legal debate over the SIR exercise and changes to electoral rolls. The Supreme Court has also been dealing with issues related to voter deletions and appeals in West Bengal, where the Election Commission has reported millions of appeals from voters seeking restoration of their names.
The reported internal objections and the political response have therefore brought renewed attention to the functioning of the Election Commission. While the opposition has questioned the leadership and decision-making process of the poll panel, the ECI and the BJP have defended the legality of its procedures. The issues remain part of an ongoing political and institutional dispute.