NEW DELHI: Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha have submitted a new notice to the secretary-general seeking a motion to remove Gyanesh Kumar from his position as chief election commissioner due to “proven misbehaviour.” This follows earlier notices, rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. The updated notice outlines nine additional charges against Kumar.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh stated that the motion is based on “proven misbehaviour,” citing a contentious incident involving a “Straight Talk” social media post from the Election Commission (EC) following an April 8 meeting with a delegation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). After this meeting, TMC leaders claimed that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) told them to “get lost,” while the EC alleged that the TMC leaders were shouting.
Ramesh emphasized that there are nine specific, detailed charges against the CEC that must be acknowledged, asserting that Kumar’s continued tenure undermines constitutional integrity. He characterized Kumar’s position as an “absolute disgrace,” suggesting that he is functioning at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
The motion has garnered signatures from MPs affiliated with Congress, TMC, DMK, SP, RJD, CPI, CPM, NCP(SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, IUML, NC, and AAP.
Among the newly presented accusations, the opposition claims that Kumar exhibited “continued partisan asymmetry in enforcement of the model code of conduct,” alleging a lack of action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on April 18, which referenced a defeated constitutional amendment bill regarding women’s reservations amid assembly elections. The motion contends that the CEC has issued no show-cause notices, advisories, or public responses to complaints related to this address.
Additional charges include “administrative lapses suggestive of institutional proximity to the governing party” and “conduct unbecoming of a constitutional functionary.” Furthermore, the opposition highlights issues of mass disenfranchisement in West Bengal, reporting the deletion of approximately 9.1 million voters and judicial exclusion of around 3.4 million voters from the electoral process.
