Congress and the INDIA bloc are drafting a fresh impeachment notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, to be filed in Parliament as early as next week. The draft cites 14 formal objections lodged by senior commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over a 10‑month period, uncovered by an Indian Express investigation on September 23.
The objections centered on revisions to the electoral rolls and alterations to Form 6, the statutory form voters use to register. The Election Commission denied any dissent, insisting all decisions, including those on the Special Intensive Revision, were unanimous. "All actions of the ECI have been in accordance with the law," the body said in its eight‑point statement.
Earlier, on April 24, 73 MPs signed a notice seeking Kumar’s removal on nine charges of alleged misbehaviour. Seven of those MPs have since crossed party lines, prompting the new notice. A prior attempt on March 12 was rejected by the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker on April 6, and the earlier notices remain pending.
Removal requires a motion passed by a special majority, following a parliamentary inquiry, mirroring the process used to oust a Supreme Court judge. If the motion is admitted, the committee will examine the evidence before a vote.
The notice is expected to be tabled next week, after which the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha will decide whether to admit the motion for inquiry.