Congress holds nationwide protests demanding resignation of Chief Election Commission
Congress holds nationwide protests demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
M.U.H
28/09/202622
Congress workers conducted protests across India on September 28 to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari questioned the integrity of the election process, stating that public trust is fundamental to democratic choices. He alleged that doubts had emerged regarding the electoral system.
Patwari said, “When Prime Minister Modi became Prime Minister for the first time, we accepted that there might have been some shortcomings on our part. The Constitution became a topic of discussion during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP lost 70 seats in the process, and the atmosphere was not in their favour; yet, they formed the government.”
He added that suspicions arose when it appeared the election was being “stolen,” citing allegations of electronic voting machine tampering. Referencing his own booth, Patwari said, “There wasn’t a single BJP worker at my booth, yet the BJP received 300 votes.”
He questioned the consequences of losing public trust in a democracy: “In a democracy, if trust is lost, then who will the public place their faith in?”
Patwari also criticised the Madhya Pradesh government, referring to the removal of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “They removed Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sent a ‘Chief Minister chosen via a slip of paper’ instead,” he stated.
He further condemned the state government over its handling of deaths caused by cough syrup, spurious liquor, and drowning, contrasting this with the Chief Minister’s reaction to the toppling of three bricks: “They take the people of the state for fools; the Chief Minister did not shed tears over deaths caused by cough syrup, spurious liquor, or drowning, yet he wept over the toppling of three bricks.”
In Jaipur, Rajasthan, Congress workers also protested against the Election Commission concerning the SIR exercise. Visuals showed participants raising slogans as part of the demonstration.
The protests formed part of the Congress’ nationwide campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, with calls for his resignation and objections to the SIR process.
In Srinagar, Congress MP Pawan Khera described the election mandate as being “stolen” and labelled the SIR exercise as “completely illegal.” He said, “This protest is ongoing across the country. CEC deceived this country; election mandates are being stolen. SIR is completely illegal. For an amendment to Form 6, it needs to be brought to Parliament. But it wasn’t done. So, SIR becomes illegal. If SIR is illegal, all additions and deletions are illegal. There is outrage across the country. Everyone wants to protest. Gyanesh Kumar should be sacked to save the country.”
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai stated, “Our protest against Gyanesh Kumar is happening countrywide. People in every corner of Uttar Pradesh have definitely woken up to the fact that such corrupt people are conducting elections.” When asked about the September 30 INDIA bloc meeting and the absence of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rai noted that representatives of the Samajwadi Party had attended previous meetings, adding, “I think it’s just like… since Samajwadi Party representatives have been to meetings before, it depends on them who they send. That’s up to them.”
In Hyderabad, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud led a protest march from the Indira Gandhi statue to the Election Commission office as part of the state-level demonstration. Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala said the party would submit a complaint demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and prosecution.
Chamala alleged, “This clearly shows that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have influenced the CEC to delete the votes to make sure that they continue in power for 50 years.” He called for the revocation of the 2025 voter list and the reinstatement of 130 million voters.
Meanwhile, Left parties held a protest against Gyanesh Kumar in Patna, while Congress members demonstrated in Srinagar and Lucknow.
The protests come amid a broader political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. Congress and other opposition parties have raised concerns and demanded accountability from the CEC.
