'Gyanu must go,' says Dipke after ex-bureaucrat claims Gyanesh Kumar offered him BJP candidature
The CEC is at the heart of a controversy surrounding the commission after reports of alleged differences between the two election commissioners and Kumar.
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Cockroach Janta Party leader Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday renewed his call for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation after a former Kerala chief secretary alleged that Kumar had offered him BJP candidature in the general elections.
According to a report by Onmanorama, former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson alleged that Kumar asked him if he was interested in contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections while travelling together on the same flight in 2016.
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"We were together on a flight. He was waxing eloquent about Prime Minister Modi and openly asked me if I was interested in contesting as a BJP candidate from Pathanamthitta in the 2019 general elections. He was very persuasive; I declined it promptly," the report quoted him as saying. Jiji Thomson retired from the top post in 2016.
Sharing the report on his Instagram handle, Dipke wrote, “Gyanu must go.” In a post on X, Dipke took a dig at Kumar saying, “Ye karwayenge free and fair elections. (He will ensure free and fair elections.)”
CEC Kumar is at the heart of a huge controversy surrounding the Election Commission after an investigative report by The Indian Express alleged differences between the two election commissioners and Kumar.
The Election Commission on Saturday reasserted that key decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, were taken unanimously by the full commission.
The poll body has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted that its orders have full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures.
Earlier on Friday, Dipke said CJP would launch a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2 and take it to cities across India if Kumar did not quit. The Dipke-led group has also warned of a nationwide agitation, including what it called 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'.
Launching its "Election Commission Thik Karo" campaign, the CJP said it would focus on the exclusion of more than 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
CJP's call for protest was supported by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray as he said, "If Gyanesh doesn't go, Mumbai will step out against Vote Chori from 2nd October, in huge numbers!"
(With PTI inputs)
Akanksha Verma is an Associate Editor at the Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With an experience of over a decade, she has led newsrooms operations and worked on digital content strategies. She is adept at covering breaking news situations and holds expertise in doing long-form explainers on national, political and geopolitical issues. Akanksha has previously worked with The Times Of India, Indian Express Online, News18.com, India Ahead and The Daily Jagran. She has written on key national and global events, including the Lok Sabha Elections, Assembly Elections, US Elections, US-Iran war, Operation Sindoor, Israel-Palestine conflict, Afghanistan conflict, Ram Temple verdict, Ladakh standoff, Abrogation of Article 370 and Demonetisation. She holds a BA (Hons) in English from Ramjas College, University of Delhi, and a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, Odisha. She is proficient in both English and Hindi and has earned a beginner-level certification in Korean. Beyond her newsroom responsibilities, Akanksha enjoys reading books that explore gender and social issues. She also turns to poetry as a creative outlet, writing verses whenever inspiration strikes.Read More
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