MK Stalin, president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, issued a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India on Wednesday, demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The former Tamil Nadu chief minister called for an emergency halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing the process has been hijacked by unilateral decision-making.
The core of Stalin’s argument rests on a report by the Indian Express. That investigation alleged Kumar acted in secrecy, bypassing his two colleagues, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. According to the DMK leader, the other two ECs raised formal objections to these unilateral moves on 14 separate occasions over a span of just 10 months. Those objections were brushed aside, a fact Stalin described as a "grave assault on Indian democracy."
Stalin did not mince words about the implications for recent polls. He claimed the "explosive findings" cast serious doubts on the validity of every state assembly election conducted after the SIR exercise commenced. The DMK had consistently opposed the deletion of crores of voters from the rolls. Stalin alleged the revision was rushed through months before elections in multiple states, sparking widespread unrest, particularly in West Bengal. As early as March this year, the DMK, joining other opposition parties, moved an impeachment motion against Kumar.
The allegations extend beyond internal protocol to technical tampering. Stalin pointed out that appeals were filed against the inclusion of voters even after courts had ordered their names be added to the rolls. He questioned who authorized these appeals, noting that Electoral Registration Officers were unable to add eligible voters despite court orders. The digital platform ERONet, through which these changes occur, was reportedly under the control of a single person. This lack of transparency, Stalin argued, points to deep-seated political interference within an institution expected to function independently.
The Election Commission’s mandate is to transact business unanimously wherever possible, or by majority view if differences arise. When two of three commissioners are kept in the dark, the procedural breach becomes a constitutional crisis. The DMK chief stated that Kumar has no right to continue in office. The party will continue to press for a fair and thorough probe, insisting that those responsible for these irregularities be held accountable. The next step lies with the government’s response to the impeachment motion and the potential judicial review of the SIR process.