Mallikarjun Kharge accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting against the Constitution during the INDIA bloc’s mock impeachment proceedings in Delhi.
Kharge levelled six charges, alleging voter deletions during SIR, changes to Form 6 and centralised control of electoral rolls.
The mock proceedings were held ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally seeking Kumar’s removal, drawing criticism from the BJP.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of committing “treason against the nation and the Constitution of India” during an INDIA bloc mock parliament in Delhi, where opposition leaders held symbolic impeachment proceedings against him over alleged electoral irregularities and voter-roll revision.
The event was organised ahead of the opposition’s November 1 rally in Delhi, which seeks to build pressure for Kumar’s removal. Kharge levelled six charges against the CEC, questioning the conduct of elections and the revision of electoral rolls.
Kharge accused Kumar of acting against the Constitution and alleged that the Election Commission’s decisions had enabled voter deletions and undermined the fairness of electoral processes. The proceedings formed part of the opposition’s campaign against the poll body.
Six Charges Against The CEC
Kharge accused Kumar of being part of an alleged conspiracy “orchestrated by the BJP” to influence national and state elections by allowing unauthorised access to voter lists and enabling the addition and deletion of names.
A second charge concerned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Kharge alleged that 13.2 crore voters had been deleted during the exercise, which he described as “partisan, opaque” and a violation of the constitutional right to vote.
He also accused Kumar of changing Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, without parliamentary oversight. Kharge alleged that the changes made it more difficult for first-time voters to enrol.
On the use of technology, Kharge accused the CEC of centralising control of electoral rolls through the ERONET/ECINET software, alleging that it facilitated voter deletions and obstructed legitimate additions.
Another charge concerned the functioning of the Election Commission. Kharge alleged that Kumar had sidelined the other two Election Commissioners in decision-making, despite their having raised at least 14 objections on record.
The sixth charge centred on alleged bias in favour of the ruling BJP. Kharge accused Kumar of denying opposition leaders a fair hearing and weakening the Election Commission’s constitutional independence. He also alleged that members of the CEC’s family had received benefits, including plum postings and opportunities for financial gains, in return for his alleged compliance with the ruling establishment.
Venue And Attendance
The mock proceedings had originally been scheduled for October 30 but were postponed due to rain in the national capital.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the session, which was held at Kharge’s residence in Delhi.
INDIA bloc leaders and MPs attended the event, along with civil society representatives and people who alleged that their names had been wrongly deleted from electoral rolls.
BJP Responds To Opposition's Move
The BJP criticised the opposition’s mock proceedings and its call for protests against the Election Commission.
Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress and other opposition parties were making all-out efforts to “somehow vitiate the atmosphere”.
Patra also criticised the opposition’s planned marches over alleged vote theft, responding to its campaign against the CEC and the Election Commission.
