Nationwide Protests Intensify as Opposition and Youth Groups Demand Action Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar spread across several parts of India on Friday, with Congress and youth organisations demanding his resignation and further action over allegations surrounding the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions. Demonstrations were reported in Delhi, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.
The demonstrations followed reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning decisions linked to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, the management of electoral-roll data and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The findings were reported by The Indian Express based on internal records.
Congress organised protests in state capitals and outside Election Commission offices, while the Indian Youth Congress also mobilised supporters in Delhi. In several locations, protesters attempted to march towards election offices. Police used barricades, water cannons and, in Manipur, tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Several opposition leaders and workers were detained, including Assam Congress chief and MP Gaurav Gogoi.
In Delhi, Youth Congress demonstrators marched towards the Election Commission headquarters, with some protesters wearing masks bearing Kumar’s face and displaying posters demanding accountability. The demonstrations reflected a broader opposition campaign focused on electoral transparency and the credibility of the voter-roll revision process.
The controversy centres heavily on the SIR process and changes connected with voter registration. An investigation reported that more than 13 crore names had been removed from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the revision process, although the precise implications of those deletions and subsequent corrections vary by state and stage of the exercise.
One particular dispute concerns Form 6, which is used for registration of new voters. Internal records reported by The Indian Express indicated that Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi had questioned whether a proposed change could be introduced without amending the relevant rules, while Sukhbir Singh Sandhu subsequently raised objections over the change.
The Election Commission has rejected the characterization of these internal exchanges as a split within the constitutional body. In its response, the Commission said differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that decisions taken by the full Commission, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.
The poll panel has also disputed aspects of the Form 6 controversy, saying that Form 6 itself was not changed and that an additional declaration, known as Annexure D, was introduced alongside the existing form under the SIR instructions.
The political confrontation is also moving beyond street protests. Opposition parties are preparing a fresh parliamentary notice seeking Kumar’s removal, with reports saying the initiative is being coordinated among INDIA bloc parties. An earlier notice submitted by 73 Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha remains pending, according to The New Indian Express.
Youth-led political mobilisation has added another dimension to the dispute. The Cockroach Janta Party has issued an ultimatum demanding Kumar’s resignation and said it would begin a nationwide campaign from October 2 if he does not step down. The Indian Youth Congress has separately launched a campaign calling for Kumar’s removal and an investigation into electoral-roll-related decisions.
The dispute has also prompted questions from some members of the ruling alliance. NDA allies including Chirag Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha and TDP leader Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu have called for greater clarification and transparency from the Election Commission amid the controversy.
For now, the central disagreement remains over how the reported internal objections should be interpreted. Opposition parties argue that the records raise serious questions about the functioning of the Election Commission and Kumar’s leadership, while the Commission maintains that internal deliberations naturally include differing views but that its final decisions were collectively approved.
The protests and proposed parliamentary action indicate that the controversy is likely to remain a major political and institutional issue in the days ahead, particularly as questions over SIR, voter-roll changes and the independence and transparency of the Election Commission continue to receive national attention.
