Pressure Mounts On Chief Poll Officer As Opposition Plans Concerted Action

The controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continues to escalate, with pressure for his dismissal mounting from all quarters. The first move this time was made by Congress's Rahul Gandhi, who held a press conference to attack the Chief Election Commissioner, even suggesting that he turn "approver" (state witness) in the matter of what he called '"vote chori", following reports that the other two Election Commissioners had reservations about voter list revision and addition of new voters. 

Opposition Huddle By Month-End

The Congress has convened a meeting of its Working Committee on September 29 to discuss this issue. It would be followed by a meeting of the INDIA alliance the next day, on September 30. 

If parties like the DMK, Aam Aadmi Party, BRS, and Biju Janata Dal also agree to join, this gathering could be termed a full-fledged Opposition meeting, similar to those held during parliamentary sessions. 

The issue appears to have brought the Opposition together, temporarily sealing the internal rifts. Talks appear to have started between Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the CPM - parties that have been arch-rivals in West Bengal. 

CPM Outreach, Mamata Banerjee Responds

It started when CPM General Secretary MA Baby wrote to the INDIA alliance leaders, saying the situation arising from the conflict between the Chief Election Commissioner and the other two commissioners was unprecedented and warranted an immediate meeting of the alliance. 

In response, Mamata Banerjee personally called the CPM General Secretary. She told MA Baby that there was an urgent need for the entire Opposition to unite and draw up a common strategy against Gyanesh Kumar.

The CPM General Secretary has written not only to the INDIA alliance but also to the DMK, which had previously left the coalition. The DMK's MK Stalin has agreed to join hands with the Congress on this issue.

Additionally, the CPM General Secretary has written to Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, K Chandrasekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi, YSR Congress, TVK, and the Cockroach Janata Party. 

Allegations Against Gyanesh Kumar

A petition has been filed against the Chief Election Commissioner in the Supreme Court as well. The petition seeks annulment of all decisions made by the Election Commission without a majority consensus. 

Reports indicate that two Election Commissioners have raised objections to decisions on 14 occasions over the past 10 months. 

Opposition Moves

Preparations are now being made to begin criminal proceedings against the Chief Election Commissioner. A complaint has already been lodged in Delhi, demanding that a police case be registered against him. 

At its meeting, the INDIA bloc may also discuss filing criminal cases against Gyanesh Kumar across the country.

Additionally, the Opposition might demand that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections be conducted using the existing voter lists. The meeting could also address the number of Bangladeshi nationals apprehended and subsequently repatriated following the SIR (Systematic Identification of Voters) exercise.

The Congress is taking this issue to the public and organizing nationwide protests. 

The 'Cockroach Janata Party', meanwhile, has initiated a sit-in protest in Delhi. 

Options For INDIA Bloc

If the INDIA bloc- or the Opposition parties collectively - decides to launch a nationwide agitation regarding the SIR process and the demand to remove the Chief Election Commissioner, the united Opposition could mount a highly impactful movement. This is the Opposition's perspective, as they believe that the manner in which the SIR process was implemented - specifically how names were deleted from the rolls - was a primary reason for their electoral defeats in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Bengal, and Delhi. 

The Congress, meanwhile, is attempting to link this issue with Gen Z. 

The party argues that the Chief Election Commissioner made openly illegal and unconstitutional changes to Form 6, making it nearly impossible for young voters to register their names on the electoral roll. 

A new mandatory section was added, asking whether the applicant's parents or grandparents were included in the previous electoral roll (SIR).  This created a new hurdle for first-time Gen Z voters, and the change is entirely illegal, the paty has contended.

NDA Allies Seek Explanation Too

Beyond this, the Chief Election Commissioner faces a real challenge from the government's own allies, who are now demanding an explanation. 

Three BJP allies - the TDP, and the parties led by Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha - have said that public trust in the elections is at stake and have called on the Commission to provide a clear response. Such statements from the leaders of these three parties do not bode well for the Chief Election Commissioner.

The threat of impeachment continues to loom over the Chief Election Commissioner. Although a motion was previously rejected in both Houses, a notice for impeachment remains under consideration in the Rajya Sabha. 

If parties such as the DMK, Aam Aadmi Party, BRS, YSRCP, and BJD join the INDIA alliance, the government could face difficulties, making it hard to block the impeachment process.