Gyanesh Kumar under fire: Opposition seeks CEC’s removal as SIR row explodes over report of 14 internal ECI objections

The report concerns differences involving CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

According to the investigation, Sandhu and Joshi formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning electoral rolls and the SIR.

The two Commissioners reportedly said some decisions were taken without their knowledge.

The objections covered changes to Form 6, access to the electoral-roll database, deletion and restoration of voters, and aspects of the ECI's internal decision-making.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (centre) and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (left) and Vivek Joshi (right). Photo: Facebook/@ceowb

Congress demands CEC's removal

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal demanded the immediate removal of Kumar and called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.

Venugopal accused the CEC of unilaterally removing voters' names and centralising control over electoral rolls.

In a post on X, Venugopal said Kumar had "no right to remain in office" and questioned how one person could allegedly remove voters' names and sideline other constitutional officials.

Abhishek Banerjee seeks court-monitored probe

Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee also demanded Kumar's removal and a court-monitored investigation.

Banerjee alleged that the disenfranchisement of voters was being carried out to benefit a political party and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

His remarks came amid the wider political confrontation between the Trinamool and the ECI over electoral-roll revision and recent decisions involving the party's name and election symbol.

Akhilesh Yadav calls report 'extremely serious'

Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav described the findings as "extremely serious".

Yadav said the reported objections by two Election Commissioners over a 10-month period raised questions about the functioning of an institution mandated to operate independently.

He also urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.

Sanjay Raut targets CEC

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also demanded Kumar's removal and criticised the functioning of the Election Commission.

Raut alleged that Kumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should be dismissed in connection with the controversy.

Tejashwi Yadav raises Bihar SIR concerns

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also criticised the Election Commission over the SIR exercise.

Yadav claimed that the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections were manipulated through what he described as a biased SIR of voter rolls.

He said his party had raised concerns earlier through presentations, a voter-rights campaign and its approach to the Supreme Court.

Yadav also accused Gyanesh Kumar of ignoring objections reportedly raised by the two other Election Commissioners and alleged that the process was intended to favour the BJP.

ECI rejects claims of internal rift

The Election Commission has rejected claims of an internal rift, with sources saying that all decisions of the poll panel, including those related to the SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of all three Commissioners.

The Indian Express said it had sent questions to the ECI regarding the issues raised by the two Election Commissioners but had not received a response. The newspaper also said emails seeking responses from Sandhu and Joshi went unanswered.