Opposition Demands Sacking of Chief Election Commissioner After Reports of Internal Dissent

Opposition parties are demanding the removal and suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a media investigation revealing that two other Election Commissioners recorded written objections to poll panel decisions at least 14 times over 10 months.

Reactions and Demands

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi stated that these developments would catch up with the CEC, while Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the episode an act of treason. Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi cited the Supreme Court's 1995 T.N. Seshan versus Union of India judgment to argue that all Election Commissioners are equal and the CEC is merely the first among equals. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh noted that 73 Opposition MPs had already moved a pending impeachment motion against Kumar on April 24, 2026. Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal demanded the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision exercise, the reversal of all changes, and the restoration of earlier voter lists. Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas wrote to President Droupadi Murmu to seek urgent constitutional intervention.

Core Disagreements

The investigation details that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections regarding new voters, voter list deletions, centralised control of electoral-roll data, and Form 6 modifications. Joshi objected in May to changes made to Form 6 without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Sandhu agreed and later described the added declaration as unauthorised and illegal, demanding its immediate removal. In response, the Election Commission stated that differing views are normal and that all past decisions were unanimous outcomes of the full commission.