INDIA Bloc Impeaches Election Chief Gyanesh Kumar, Calls for Mass Rally in Delhi

Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc staged a symbolic public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, accusing him of deleting 13.2 crore voters and acting on behalf of the ruling BJP. The impeachment motion was adopted unanimously by a show of hands on October 31, 2026, and listed six charges, including collusion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and the alleged use of the 2023 immunity law to shield the poll panel chief. Voters such as Anita Jaiswal, who moved from Kolkata to Delhi and voted in every election from 2012 to 2025, testified that their names had vanished from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and that they were now asked to prove citizenship. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the immediate removal of Gyanesh Kumar and the repeal of the 2023 law granting the CEC immunity, alleging the commission works under the Modi government’s direction. The INDIA bloc’s mega rally is set for Sunday, November 1, 2026, at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, with a tricolour canopy over the main stage, a march planned from Minto Road, and participation from political parties, student groups, and civil‑society organisations. Security arrangements are in place as leaders and supporters from several states arrive in the capital for the show of strength.

Context

The special intensive revision is a periodic update of voter lists that aims to remove duplicate or ineligible entries, but critics argue it can also lead to legitimate voters being disenrolled. The 2023 law granting the CEC immunity from court challenges has become a flashpoint in debates over electoral independence.