NEW DELHI — In an aggressive push against the leadership of India’s poll panel, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of acting as a “puppet” for the ruling government, formally demanding his immediate removal from office.
Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday, Kharge claimed that the CEC’s decisions have systematically compromised administrative neutrality, pointing to internal dissent within the Election Commission as evidence of arbitrary decision-making.
Core Allegations & Institutional Standpoint
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Internal Commission Objections: Kharge cited recent investigative reports revealing that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had repeatedly raised procedural objections regarding orders issued under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive without complete Commission consensus.
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Five-Point Demands: The Congress leadership outlined five structural demands to restore credibility to the poll body:
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Mandatory public disclosure of all updates and deletions in electoral rolls.
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Provision of a formal appeal framework for disenfranchised voters.
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Timely delivery of simplified electoral roll data to all political parties.
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An independent, time-bound investigation into reported roll anomalies.
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Enhanced procedural transparency to prevent information withholding.
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Calls for Executive Accountability: Beyond demanding the CEC’s resignation, Kharge called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down on moral grounds over alleged executive interference in independent institutions.
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Poll Body Rebuttal: The Election Commission has refuted allegations of an institutional rift, clarifying that internal queries raised by commissioners form a normal part of draft-stage administrative deliberations before final, consensus-driven decisions are made.
