Oppn parties planning new bid to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar
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Opposition parties are reportedly planning a renewed effort to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with sources indicating that discussions are underway among leaders across several parties.
According to reports, senior MPs from the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the DMK are involved in drafting a fresh notice to initiate removal proceedings. It is understood that there is no final decision yet on whether the notice will be introduced in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, or both Houses simultaneously.
Sources suggested that the Opposition has been encouraged by the recent defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha and is now aiming to gather wider backing, with a target of securing signatures from at least 200 MPs, TNIE reported.
In earlier attempts, Opposition leaders had alleged that the CEC failed to maintain independence and constitutional propriety, claiming he functioned under executive influence. They had also raised concerns about alleged partisan conduct, obstruction in probing electoral irregularities, and a lack of transparency in sharing election-related data.
Additionally, the earlier notices had reportedly accused the Election Commission of contributing to voter disenfranchisement through Special Intensive Revision exercises in states such as Bihar, and of delays or non-compliance with directions from the Supreme Court of India.
However, both Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan had rejected the previous notices. They had stated that even if the allegations were taken at face value, they did not meet the constitutional requirement of “proved misbehaviour” necessary for the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner.
They had further indicated that concerns related to appointments or prior government roles did not amount to misconduct, and that disagreements over administrative decisions or public statements lacked evidence of deliberate abuse of authority.
They also noted that issues such as data sharing and electoral roll revisions fall within the Commission’s mandate and remain open to judicial review, emphasising that removal proceedings must be based on clear and demonstrable misconduct rather than political disagreement.
