Kumar Bahukhandi
Opposition leaders, citing unresolved complaints from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP on voter roll manipulation and discussed moving an impeachment notice against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposition Weighs Impeachment Notice Against CEC Over Voter Roll Disputes
Opposition INDIA Bloc leaders met here on Monday August 18, 2025 to consider moving an impeachment notice against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying their protest over alleged “vote theft” and discrepancies in the ongoing voter roll revision.
The meeting, held in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, saw discussions on how the CEC had addressed a press conference on Sunday August 17 without responding to the questions raised by opposition parties. Some MPs argued that the fight against the Election Commission (EC) must be taken forward and suggested bringing an impeachment motion against the CEC, sources said.
Congress MP Naseer Hussain said opposition parties would use “every democratic means” to ensure accountability. “The EC has not given any answers on people declared dead in electoral rolls and is acting like a spokesperson of the BJP. We need a completely impartial CEC and Election Commission in the country,” he asserted.
At a joint press conference later, several leaders accused the EC of ignoring critical complaints. TMC’s Mahua Moitra said that even though West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had raised the issue of duplicate EPIC voter cards, it remained unresolved. SP’s Ramgopal Yadav pointed out that his party had submitted an affidavit on the removal of 18,000 voters from electoral rolls in 2022, but no action was taken. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi flagged the EC’s silence on voter additions in Maharashtra, discrepancies in rolls in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura constituency, and deletion of video data.
On Sunday August 17, 2025 CEC Kumar defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, dismissing allegations of “vote theft” and double voting as “baseless” and accusing some parties of spreading misinformation. He said the EC’s goal was to ensure transparent and error-free electoral rolls.
However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who launched his Voter Adhikar Yatra from Sasaram, Bihar, alleged that the EC was colluding with the BJP to carry out “vote chori openly” in the name of SIR. Gandhi said he was asked to submit an affidavit after exposing “vote chori” at a press conference, while no such demand was made from BJP leader Anurag Thakur, who made similar claims.
“The SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar is a way to steal the votes of the people,” Gandhi alleged, adding that he was “not scared” of the EC or its officials.
Opposition leaders said discussions on the impeachment motion against the CEC were at a preliminary stage and a final decision would be taken in the coming days.
( Source : PTI )
