INDIA Bloc Holds Mock Impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
- INDIA bloc leaders conducted a symbolic impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar on October 31.
- The opposition accused the CEC of conspiring to delete 13 crore voters from electoral rolls.
- Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the mock parliamentary session.
- Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the repeal of the 2023 Election Commissioner Appointment Act.
- The protest precedes the opposition's planned 'Chalo Dilli' march against alleged vote theft.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc held a symbolic mock impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at the New Delhi residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The opposition coalition passed a resolution to impeach the official during this public event.
The mock parliamentary proceedings were chaired by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, moved the symbolic motion for the removal of Gyanesh Kumar.
Kharge described the deletion of Indian citizens from voter rolls during a special intensive revision as a criminal act against the Constitution of India. This demonstration took place one day before the opposition's planned Chalo Dilli march to protest alleged vote theft and demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Opposition levels six charges against Election Commission
The INDIA bloc leveled six charges against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during the public impeachment event.
Participants in the mock parliament accused the election body of conspiring to steal elections by intentionally ensuring the deletion of 13 crore voters. The assembly also demanded that a treason case be filed against the Chief Election Commissioner.
Kharge and Gandhi criticize government influence
Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Modi government during the public impeachment proceedings. Rahul Gandhi referred to CEC Gyanesh Kumar as the "first target" during the mock impeachment event.
Gandhi stated the symbolic impeachment occurred at Kharge’s residence because the opposition has no other options. He added that every single institution is closed to them.
Voters testify to electoral roll irregularities
Voters at the public impeachment event raised questions regarding the deletion of names from electoral rolls. Kanta Prasad, who lives in northwest Delhi’s Mongolpuri, gave testimony that he had been labeled "dead" during the special intensive revision.
Kamal Lal, a resident of Bela Estate in the East Delhi parliamentary constituency, also shared his experience. He stated that the revision exercise resulted in the removal of 728 out of 729 local residents from the voter list.
Demand for repeal of 2023 Election Commissioner Appointment Act
This law governs the appointment of the chief election commissioner and two other top members.
Under the 2023 Act, appointments must be made following the recommendations provided by a selection committee.
In the event of a disagreement, the opposition contends that the legislation grants the government a 2:1 majority against them.
Protest timeline and background of electoral concerns
Nationwide protests calling for Kumar’s resignation have been held since October 2. Worries regarding the Election Commission's operations and claims of irregularities in the voter roll revision process are the root cause of these protests.
They stated that some decisions were taken without their knowledge. The BJP initiated a counter-campaign in response to the INDIA bloc's planned public impeachment of the CEC.
Although the event was initially set for Friday, it was pushed back because of continuous heavy rain in the national capital.
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