Left parties seek CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal

Five prominent Left parties have issued a joint statement demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the election watchdog of compromising its integrity and eroding public trust in the country’s electoral process.

The joint demand follows media disclosures highlighting serious objections raised by two of the three Election Commissioners regarding the internal functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) under CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

In their statement, leaders of the Left parties asserted that the allegations — including at least 14 instances where two Commissioners formally recorded dissent over decisions concerning voter registration, deletion, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls —expose the hollowness of claims regarding transparency and decentralised management. They further highlighted grave concerns over the gradual centralisation of the voter database and restrictions on statutory officials at the state and constituency levels, citing an instance in Goa where Electoral Registration Officers were reportedly blocked by central software restrictions from recording decisions finding 97 voters eligible.

Asserting that the credibility and independence of the ECI have hit an unprecedented low, the Left leaders outlined four central demands: the immediate sacking of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an immediate halt to the SIR process alongside the restoration of voting rights for all wrongfully excluded citizens, the re-establishment of independent and democratic functioning within the Commission, and a complete overhaul of the selection process for Election Commissioners. On appointments, they demanded replacing the current system with the mechanism proposed by the Supreme Court, comprising a selection committee of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.

To press these demands, the Left parties have called upon their units nationwide to organise a week-long protest movement from 26th September to 2nd October, commemorating the birth anniversaries of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi. They also appealed to all non-BJP, secular, and democratic opposition parties, civil society organisations, and citizens to join the agitation.

The joint statement was signed by M A Baby, General Secretary of CPI(M), D Raja, General Secretary of CPI, Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of CPI(ML)-Liberation, G Devarajan, General Secretary of AIFB, and Manoj Bhattacharya, General Secretary of RSP.