Opposition parties are preparing to move a resolution in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to reports from New Delhi. The initiative is said to be coordinated under the leadership of the Trinamool Congress.
The move follows the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out in several states, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Bihar, after which final voter lists were released. Reports said the highest deletions were in Tamil Nadu (74 lakh) and West Bengal (63 lakh).
The Election Commission has stated that the deletions were limited to names identified as duplicate registrations, deceased voters, or those who had permanently relocated. However, opposition parties have strongly objected to the SIR exercise, alleging it benefited the BJP, and have also approached the Supreme Court.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has been among the most vocal critics, and has launched an indefinite sit-in protest over the deletions. A senior Trinamool MP was quoted as saying a draft notice has already been prepared by like-minded parties, and that notices could be submitted in both Houses as early as this week.
Under parliamentary rules, at least 100 Lok Sabha MPs and 50 Rajya Sabha MPs must sign to initiate a removal motion. The process mirrors that used for removing High Court or Supreme Court judges, requiring the opposition to establish unfitness for office or proven misconduct.
