Rahul Gandhi Demands CEC Resignation and Calls for Probe Against Modi and Shah over Vote Theft Allegations

UPDATE - follow-up to Election Commission row LIVE: CJP demands resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar within 48 hours: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately. This followed an Indian Express expose claiming that two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally recorded objections at least 14 times over the last 10 months. Mr. Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are key conspirators in vote theft and stated that they are going to be investigated for this.

Opposition Moves and Left Protests

Opposition parties plan to move a fresh notice seeking the removal of the CEC in both Houses of Parliament. A previous petition moved in the Rajya Sabha on April 24 remains pending with Upper House Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan. The Opposition is also preparing for joint action through the INDIA bloc. Meanwhile, five Left parties demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, announcing week-long protests from September 26 to October 2. The Left leaders, including M.A. Baby, D. Raja, and Dipankar Bhattacharya, also demanded the restoration of voting rights for those wrongfully excluded from electoral rolls.

Modi and Shah Accused

Mr. Gandhi labeled Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah as conspirators who have destroyed the vote in the country's democracy. He played videos of the leaders and criticized their statements about staying in power for 30 years and raising the slogan 'Abki Baar 400 Paar', arguing that leaders in a democratic environment cannot make such remarks. He linked vote theft to legal erosion, asserting that if votes are stolen, MPs sitting in Parliament are illegitimate and any laws they make are illegal.