Published Oct 31, 2026 | 5:16 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 31, 2026 | 6:04 PM
Listing out six charges against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Kharge said he had to be removed from the post and "tried for treason."
The Opposition INDIA bloc’s “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities and mass deletion of voters began at the New Delhi residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday, October 31.
The symbolic “public impeachment” was presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, while opposition leaders across parties, representatives of student organisations and civil society groups were in attendance at the programme.
Opening the proceedings, former Speaker Meira Kumar stated that India is the largest democracy in the world and that it is driven by the power of elections.
“Nations across the globe, in Asia, Africa, and South America, look up to us and follow our model of democracy. Our democracy is driven by the power of elections, and at the heart of this electoral power lies the soul of the voter. The voter is the focal point of the entire electoral process. If even a single voter is denied the right to cast their vote, it strikes a blow to the very soul of our democracy. Preventing someone from voting inflicts harm upon our democracy,” she said.
She also stated that the INDIA bloc would convene a meeting to discuss moving an impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha to remove the CEC.
“…It has been decided that the INDIA bloc will convene a meeting to bring forward an impeachment motion to remove Gyanesh Kumar from his position. This impeachment motion will be moved in the Rajya Sabha by the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, who will subsequently deliver a statement,” she said.
She then invited Kharge to move the symbolic “impeachment” motion against Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking at the programme, Kharge stressed that the Opposition had no personal enmity with the CEC and stated that they only wanted the Election Commission (ECI) to work independently.
The Congress leader stated that Article 326 of the Constitution, which grants universal adult franchise, was under serious threat and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which led to mass deletion of voters, was “announced overnight and implemented across the country to delete the votes of those opposed to the BJP.”
“The Modi government is using the pretext of outsiders and infiltrators to conceal its own failures. They allege that we are attempting to include infiltrators. That is not the case; we are simply advocating for the retention of genuine, legitimate voters. We are doing this to safeguard their rights…” Kharge said.
Speaking about the history of voting rights in India, Kharge noted that women and vulnerable sections of society were granted voting rights immediately after the Constitution came into effect, unlike in countries such as the United States, where they had to fight for it.
“It extended this right to women, Dalits, the marginalised, the poor, regardless of their background. Even back then, the RSS raised objections to this right and opposed it..,” Kharge said.
Listing out six charges against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Kharge said he had to be removed from the post and “tried for treason.”
The charges levelled against the CEC are: conspired to steal elections, deleted 13.2 crore voters, rewrote Form 6 without Parliament, seized the rolls through ECiNet, shut out the other two commissioners, acted at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“It is clear that the lifelong legal protection provided to the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Gyanesh Kumar, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah through this government in December 2023 was intended as a cover for the criminal activities enacted by him against the nation and the Constitution of India. Therefore, he must be removed forthwith,” Kharge said.
“Members of Parliament of the INDIA alliance, representing over sixty per cent of the population of India, along with the citizens assembled in New Delhi on October 31, 2026, resolved that for this gross betrayal of the people of India, the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Gyanesh Kumar, must be tried for treason in a court of law in accordance with the legal framework of the Constitution of India…” he added.
The INDIA bloc’s symbolic “public impeachment” of the CEC was part of the Opposition’s campaign against the ECI and the BJP-led central government over the alleged irregularities and deliberate manipulation of electoral rolls through the SIR.
The programme comes ahead of the Opposition’s proposed rally at the Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
