Opposition parties are consolidating their stance against the Election Commission, with INDIA bloc leaders scheduled to gather in New Delhi on September 30. The primary agenda involves finalizing a unified strategy to challenge Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Sources indicate the coordination has intensified in the wake of reports suggesting deep fractures within the poll panel itself.
The left parties, including CPI(M), CPI, and CPI(ML)-Liberation, have already demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR. Congress is aligning with this position, with its Working Committee meeting on September 29 to sharpen its attack on the CEC. What stands out is the reconciliation between West Bengal’s long-time rivals: Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and the CPI(M). CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby wrote to opposition leaders seeking a meeting and subsequently spoke with Banerjee, who agreed that the situation warranted coordinated action.
The opposition is working on a fresh removal notice against Kumar, which legal experts are currently vetting. This would mark the third such attempt by the opposition to remove the CEC through parliamentary procedure. The mobilization follows an Indian Express report claiming Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections to several SIR-related decisions. The Election Commission dismissed these claims, stating that differing views are a normal part of institutional deliberations and that all orders carry full legal sanction.
This latest push builds on a broader alliance that earlier saw 23 political parties and an Independent MP approach the Chief Justice of India over the SIR process. The opposition argues the revisions are flawed and politically motivated, while the government maintains the exercise is essential for electoral integrity.
The INDIA bloc expects to finalize the wording of the removal notice during the September 30 meeting. Once vetted, the document will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament. The coming week will determine whether this third attempt gains enough traction to force a parliamentary debate on the CEC’s conduct.