NEW DELHI: The Bloc led by the Congress and comprising major opposition allies, has launched an unprecedented political and parliamentary offensive against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of acting as an agent of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Senior opposition leaders on Monday announced their decision to initiate a motion to impeach which leads to removal of the CEC. Opposition has not directly answered the question in press conference but sources confirmed that the the process is already started.
On record the opposition confirmed that they are exploring exploring all legal avenues to challenge his recent statements . AAP which is not the part of India alliance but was in forefront in press conference against CEC.
At a joint press conference in New Delhi, opposition leaders accused Gyanesh Kumar of “misleading the nation” and “targeting opposition parties without valid grounds.” Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, sharply criticised the CEC for making veiled threats against those questioning the Election Commission’s credibility. Gogoi alleged that Kumar’s remarks, delivered on Sunday at the National Media Centre, were “directed at silencing legitimate concerns over electoral fraud and discrepancies in vote counts.”
The controversy has escalated following widespread allegations—led by civil society groups such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)—about discrepancies between the votes polled and votes counted in the 2024 general elections. The opposition claims that instead of addressing these substantive concerns, the Election Commission has launched into politically loaded statements, shielding the BJP while casting aspersions on opposition leaders.
According to constitutional provisions, the Chief Election Commissioner can only be removed through a motion passed by a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament. Before such a motion is admitted, at least 50 MPs must sign in support of it. Opposition leaders said that, while achieving the required majority is politically uphill given the BJP’s numbers, the move is aimed at sending a strong message about the “political capture” of democratic institutions.
“Our demand is not symbolic,” Gogoi declared. “The CEC has compromised the sanctity of his office. He has turned the Election Commission into a propaganda wing of the BJP. This must be resisted inside and outside Parliament.”
INDIA Bloc’s Joint Stand
Leaders from across the opposition spectrum stood shoulder to shoulder, projecting rare unity. Those present included Gaurav Gogoi (Congress), Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Trichi Siva (DMK), Mahua Moitra (Trinamool Congress), Manoj Jha (RJD), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena–Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), John Brittas (CPI-M), and Sanjay Singh (AAP).
They jointly accused Gyanesh Kumar of “lying to the nation” and acting in a partisan manner. CPI-M’s John Brittas remarked that the Election Commission, once seen as the custodian of free and fair polls, had been “reduced to a toothless extension of the ruling party.” Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra echoed this sentiment, saying: “CEC Kumar has failed the test of neutrality. His office now mirrors the arrogance and authoritarianism of the Modi government.”
Escalating Confrontation
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also intervened, framing the issue as part of a broader struggle to protect democratic institutions from “systematic assault.” He stressed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters in poll-bound Bihar, ordered suddenly by the Election Commission, had already raised questions of constitutional impropriety. “Now, with such biased statements from the CEC, the credibility crisis has deepened,” Kharge asserted.
The INDIA bloc leaders vowed to continue pressing the issue inside Parliament and outside.
