INDIA Bloc Stages Symbolic Public Impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The INDIA bloc held a symbolic public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on 31 October 2026 at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Rajaji Marg in New Delhi. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings, which lasted three and a half hours and replicated the setting of the Lok Sabha.

Kharge moved a resolution listing six charges. The resolution accused Kumar of participating in a conspiracy with the Bharatiya Janata Party to manipulate national and state elections, of overseeing the deletion of 13.2 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, of rewriting Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules without parliamentary approval, of centralising control of rolls through the ECINET platform, of excluding the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions, and of acting under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The resolution stated that Kumar had betrayed the trust of Indian citizens under Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees universal adult franchise. It called for his immediate removal and for him to be tried for treason in accordance with the Constitution. The text claimed that compliance with the ruling party had brought benefits to Kumar and members of his family, including postings and remuneration opportunities.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, delivered concluding remarks. He said the Opposition had been left with no other option after notices seeking Kumar’s removal in Parliament were rejected. Gandhi stated that Gyanesh Kumar would not survive and that the Election Commission had deleted large numbers of voters. Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders sat in the front rows. The national anthem opened the session.

Meira Kumar put the resolution to a voice vote. Opposition members raised their hands, and she declared the resolution passed. The proceedings took place after the original date was postponed because of rain. Kharge said the event was necessary to save the Constitution and democracy after parliamentary notices failed.

The Election Commission has previously told the Supreme Court that false Form 7 deletion requests were identified during the Uttar Pradesh Special Intensive Revision and that none were accepted. The Commission has maintained that corrective measures were applied promptly. The Opposition has framed the Special Intensive Revision as a mechanism for large-scale removal of legitimate voters ahead of state and national elections.

The mock session drew senior leaders from multiple INDIA parties. It followed months of public statements by Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition figures alleging irregularities in voter lists and in the conduct of the Commission. The resolution claimed that seven associates in the Election Commission acted with Kumar while the other two Commissioners recorded 14 objections.

No formal parliamentary impeachment process has begun. The event remains a political demonstration rather than a constitutional proceeding. The Opposition has said it will continue to raise the issue in legislatures and in public campaigns. The ruling party has described similar allegations as attempts to undermine the credibility of the election process.

The six charges, the specific figure of 13.2 crore deletions, and the demand for a treason trial mark the sharpest formal statement the INDIA bloc has issued against the Chief Election Commissioner. The replication of parliamentary procedure at a private residence underlines the Opposition’s claim that normal institutional channels have been closed.