India’s Congress party has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with calls for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to step down. The demands were raised during a meeting of the Congress Working Committee amid allegations concerning the electoral process and voter-list revisions.
Congress Raises Electoral Concerns
At the Congress Working Committee meeting, party president Mallikarjun Kharge called for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal. Congress leaders also argued that the prime minister should accept what they described as a moral responsibility for alleged pressure on the Election Commission.
The party’s concerns are particularly focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Congress leaders have alleged that the process could affect a large number of voters and have demanded that the ongoing exercise be stopped.
Demand to Restore Voter Names
According to the resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee, the party wants the names of around 13.3 crore voters reportedly removed from electoral rolls to be restored. Congress has also said that it will pursue the issue through political protests, Parliament and the courts.
Supreme Court Hearing Adds Pressure
The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court. A petition questioning the functioning of the Election Commission and the role of the chief election commissioner has been accepted for an early hearing. Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench indicated that the case would be heard the following week.
Opposition Alliance Faces Internal Differences
A meeting of the opposition INDIA alliance is scheduled to follow the Congress Working Committee meeting. However, several alliance partners and leaders are expected to be absent, reflecting differences among opposition parties over state-level political issues and electoral strategy.
The developments have placed the Election Commission and the broader electoral process at the center of renewed political debate in India. The allegations made by Congress remain political claims, while related legal and institutional questions are subject to judicial and public scrutiny.
