Kharge Calls CEC a 'Puppet', Seeks Removal; Lists Five Demands at CWC Meet

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday described Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as a "puppet" of the ruling BJP and demanded his immediate removal, speaking at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee amid a continuing dispute over how the poll panel is functioning.

Kharge said the CEC had forfeited the right to hold office, arguing that his conduct had consistently favoured the party in power. He pointed to objections reportedly raised by two Election Commissioners, Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who are said to have questioned the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and several decisions taken by the CEC. Kharge said the fact that the CEC's own colleagues had flagged his actions as arbitrary and improper made his position untenable.

He also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the PM had brought pressure to bear on the poll panel and should step down on moral grounds.

Five demands placed before the CWC

Kharge set out five demands, centred on making the electoral process more open:

• All data concerning changes to electoral rolls should be made public.
• Every voter whose name has been deleted should be given an opportunity to appeal.
• All political parties should receive electoral rolls in a simple format and in good time.
• Where serious anomalies are found, an independent and time-bound inquiry should be held.
• The poll process should be made transparent so that no one suspects information is being withheld.

He said the right to vote is among the most fundamental elements of a democracy and that no eligible voter should be struck off arbitrarily. He also alleged that recent changes to Form 6 rules could disadvantage young voters and described those changes as unconstitutional.

Poll body's response

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the objections raised by the two commissioners amounted to institutional dissent over final decisions. It has said such operational queries, inputs and suggestions, raised at the draft stage, are part of its standard administrative and decision-making process.

Kharge maintained that the Congress's campaign is not directed against any particular party, institution or individual, but is a fight for voters' rights, the Constitution and the democratic system. He said the party wants an Election Commission that remains independent and credible, so that both the ruling side and the opposition can trust its decisions.

He also commended Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for raising the issue of voter-list manipulation, saying the concerns Gandhi had voiced have been borne out.