2 months ago
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The notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar cites concerns ranging from the enactment process for the station to his nationalist confrontation with Leader of the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and reports of wide deletion of voters successful 2 constituencies successful Karnataka, an Opposition person said connected Monday (March 15, 2026).
The Opposition is yet to marque the contents of the 10-page announcement against Mr. Kumar public. The announcement signed by 193 Opposition MPs — 130 successful the Lok Sabha and 63 successful the Rajya Sabha — has listed 7 charges against the predetermination sheet chief, including “partisan and discriminatory conduct”, “obstruction of inquiries into electoral fraud” and “mass disenfranchisement”. The Opposition alleges that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) workout was utilized to payment the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The notices, filed connected Friday (March 13, 2026), travel months of Opposition protests implicit the SIR of electoral rolls. MPs person alleged repeated “manipulation” of elector lists and accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of overlooking complaints of disenfranchisement. Removal of a CEC follows the aforesaid stringent process arsenic that of a Supreme Court oregon High Court justice and tin beryllium initiated lone connected grounds of “proven misbehaviour oregon incapacity”.
According to an Opposition leader, the notices gully heavy from Mr. Gandhi’s February 2025 dissent note, submitted erstwhile Mr. Kumar was selected arsenic CEC by the three‑member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Gandhi had termed the government’s late‑night determination to name the CEC “disrespectful and discourteous”, pointing retired that the committee’s creation and process were nether situation successful the Supreme Court. The main constituent of contention has been the removal of Chief Justice of India from the enactment committee, which present comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister to beryllium nominated by the Prime Minister, securing a bulk for the government.
The notices besides mention Mr. Kumar’s nationalist ultimatum to Mr. Gandhi astatine an August 2025 property conference, wherever the CEC demanded that helium either apologise oregon record a signed affidavit backing his allegations of “vote theft”. Opposition parties reason that specified remarks were partisan and compromised the neutrality of the office.
They person further flagged alleged voter‑roll manipulation successful the 2 Karnataka Assembly seats, Aland and Mahadevapura.
If some Houses admit the motion, a three‑member enquiry committee volition beryllium acceptable up by the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairperson. It volition comprise the Chief Justice of India oregon a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court, and a distinguished jurist. Proceedings volition travel court‑like protocols, with witnesses examined and the CEC fixed the close to contiguous his defence. Once the committee submits its report, Parliament volition statement and ballot connected the motion, with Mr. Kumar entitled to support himself during the discussion.
