Opposition Attacks Election Commission Over Commissioners' Objections

Opposition parties have sharply criticised the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a report that two of the three election commissioners objected to recent decisions on voter rolls and database access.

Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly described the steps on new voters as "unauthorised, illegal" and warned against voter database access being centralised in Delhi, bypassing state officials. The two commissioners also complained about being kept in the dark.

The Congress launched a scathing attack on X, saying Gyanesh Kumar was "ruling like a dictator" and accusing him of being engaged in "vote theft" to please Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party alleged that Modi has "captured" the Election Commission and that Kumar is his "puppet", claiming the report proves this.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said the findings suggest an "invisible hand" is running the poll panel. He argued that if rules were not followed and decisions were not unanimous or by majority, then all decisions of the Election Commission are "per-se arbitrary and capricious if not completely illegal". He added that this may be a fit case for seriously considering impeachment proceedings, and questioned how the credibility of the poll panel could ever be restored.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut also targeted the CEC, suggesting that Kumar would go to jail. "Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail! He will have to go! Their masters will flee the country and run away," he posted on X.

The developments have reignited the political row over the independence of the Election Commission ahead of upcoming polls.