Opposition Prepares Fresh Impeachment Motion Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Opposition parties are preparing to move a fresh impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with the Congress taking the lead and INDIA bloc allies having agreed to the move, according to people familiar with the discussions.

A notice for the motion is being drafted and could be submitted in Parliament as early as next week.

The proposed action follows a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders of the Election Commission, including matters tied to the revision of electoral rolls. The Opposition has cited those reported objections as fresh grounds for proceeding against Kumar.

The Election Commission has rejected any suggestion that its decisions were divided or that the two Election Commissioners had formally dissented. In an eight-point statement, the poll body said it is a multi-member constitutional body under Article 324 and that written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks are ordinary features of its functioning. It said all its decisions over the past year, including those concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, were unanimous, and that any inputs raised during drafting were aimed at improving electoral processes rather than expressing dissent.

This would not be the Opposition's first attempt to initiate proceedings against Kumar. On April 24, 73 Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha submitted a notice seeking his removal on grounds of alleged proven misbehaviour, with the Congress saying it contained nine specific charges. An earlier attempt on March 12 was rejected by the Rajya Sabha chairman, and notices submitted in both Houses were rejected on April 6 by the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The April notice remains pending. Opposition sources said seven of its signatories have since switched sides, prompting the need for a fresh initiative reflecting the current composition of the House and the latest allegations. The new notice is expected to incorporate the recent developments.

The procedure for removing a Chief Election Commissioner mirrors that for a Supreme Court judge: a removal motion requires the requisite number of parliamentary members to initiate the process, followed by an inquiry if the motion is admitted and, ultimately, a special majority in Parliament.