In a closed‑door session of the Congress Working Committee on Thursday, 28 September 2024, Mallikarjun Kharge called for the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of acting as a puppet for the Narendra Modi government. He also demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation on moral grounds, arguing that the SIR exercise had eroded trust in India’s electoral process.
Kharge highlighted allegations that the SIR had deleted voters’ names and that two election commissioners were denied access to the Commission’s internal portal. He framed the exercise as a “votebandi” that deprived eligible citizens of their voting rights, comparing it to the demonetisation drive.
The Election Commission replied that differences of opinion are routine in institutional deliberations and that the decision to conduct the nationwide SIR was approved by the full Commission. It denied that the CEC was biased or that any internal portal was withheld.
Kharge outlined five demands aimed at restoring transparency: full disclosure of all changes to the rolls, clear notification and appeal rights for deleted voters, accessible data for political parties, an independent probe within a fixed timeframe if serious irregularities are found, and complete transparency in all electoral decisions. He called for a time‑bound investigation into the allegations.
The CWC will table the removal motion next week, and Parliament is expected to debate the CEC’s future in the coming session. The government will likely issue a response to Kharge’s demands and the broader accusations before the vote.