INDIA Bloc 'Very Much United', Says Mamata; Demands Immediate Removal Of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asserted that the INDIA bloc is "very much united" and demanded immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging serious electoral wrongdoing and manipulation of the electoral process.

Addressing a joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders after their meeting here, Banerjee said the opposition had repeatedly raised the issue of "vote theft" in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal, and expressed concerns over alleged electoral manipulation during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav had raised the issue of vote theft in Bihar. We have also raised concerns over electoral manipulation in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Bengal, as well as in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," she said.

Banerjee said the opposition had taken these matters to the Election Commission and the Supreme Court and "knocked on every possible door".

"But now, in our view, everything has come out in the open. I say that Gyanesh Kumar is responsible for vote theft and serious electoral wrongdoing," she said.

She alleged that questions had been raised over EVMs, especially regarding the handling of these machines and the counting process, and claimed there had been manipulation of the electoral system.

"Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately. Let us save democracy and ensure security of people and their voting rights. It is our constitutional right," she asserted.

"It is our obligation to people. If people are not voting, if their votes are looted, where will the country go?" Banerjee said.

She said Kumar's removal was no longer a request but a demand, and warned that the opposition's agitation would intensify if he continued in office.

"If Gyanesh Kumar is not removed, this movement can go very far... We have to fight this battle together," she said.

She also questioned the software used in the electoral process and raised questions over the handling of EVMs.

"If nothing was wrong, why were machines destroyed? Were EVMs tampered with? Why? Who is this software engineer? Where did the software come from?" Banerjee said.

"We believe software was developed and used to manipulate the electoral process," she alleged.

She claimed that around 92 lakh voters had been affected in West Bengal, while across the country, this figure was more than 13 crore.

"We also believe that certain software were used that compromised EVMs and endangered the entire electoral system," she said.

Banerjee said a person responsible for such actions "should not remain in office even for one more minute" and demanded immediate action.

At the same time, she appealed to people to participate in the programmes announced by the INDIA bloc, saying all opposition parties would take part in the agitation against the CEC and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"They may try to prevent us from coming out of our homes. They may try to stop us from taking to the streets. But how long can they stop everyone?" she said.

"I want to make one thing clear: we will fight; we will continue this struggle; we will work to restore democracy; and we will protect the Constitution. This is our promise," Banerjee asserted.

She appealed for the support of NGOs, students, youth, women, civil society and journalists in the opposition's campaign. "We want all of you to stand with us."

The INDIA bloc on Wednesday announced a joint action plan over SIR, including "save democracy" marches from October 2 to 8 and a march by opposition MPs to the Election Commission (EC) on October 6.

The opposition parties have also decided to hold five major rallies and seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October. They also appealed to the Supreme Court to expedite cases related to SIR and alleged electoral malpractices.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said all parties in the bloc had agreed that elections should be held using ballot papers instead of EVMs.

The meeting came days after The Indian Express reported that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders on the SIR, which they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The EC has said differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and asserted that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.