New Delhi: The controversy surrounding decision making within the Election Commission of India (ECI) escalated on Thursday, with opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
India’s Cockroach Janta Party on Thursday gave CEC Gyanesh Kumar 48 hours to resign, demanding criminal proceedings against him and changes to the country’s electoral system amid a dispute over voter lists.
The group presented three demands:
Kumar should resign and face criminal proceedings over alleged irregularities in electoral decisions.
The Special Intensive Revision should be suspended and the January 2025 voter list restored. The Special Intensive Revision is a detailed Election Commission exercise to verify, add or remove names from electoral rolls.
Parliament should repeal the 2023 law governing the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners and introduce reforms to strengthen public confidence in the Election Commission.
The group alleged that the revision process could remove eligible citizens from voter lists and called for an independent investigation.
The Election Commission has maintained that differences among commissioners are part of normal institutional deliberations. The allegations against Kumar have not been established by a court.
