Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc on Saturday held a symbolic "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, adopting a resolution that demands his removal and accuses him of manipulating elections. The proceedings have no legal force.
The event was held at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi, the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on 31 October. It had been planned for Friday but was postponed because of heavy rain, Scroll reported.
What happened
According to ThePrint, 21 INDIA bloc parties, led by the Congress, took part. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the mock proceedings, and Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, moved the motion. UNI reported that the six-charge resolution was adopted unanimously.
The resolution demands the CEC's immediate removal and a trial in court. As reported by ThePrint, its six charges allege that he:
- took part in a plan to manipulate elections through changes to voter rolls;
- was responsible for deleting about 13.2 crore voters through the special intensive revision (SIR) of rolls;
- amended Form 6 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, without parliamentary oversight;
- centralised control of voter rolls through the ERONET and ECINET software;
- kept two election commissioners out of decisions;
- showed bias towards the BJP and denied hearings to opposition leaders.
These are the opposition's allegations. They have not been tested by any court or inquiry.
What leaders said
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said: "We are left with no choice but to do this," ThePrint reported. He also said: "Every single institution is closed to us," according to Scroll.
Kharge called the voter deletions "a criminal act and an act against the Constitution of India" and demanded that the 2023 law on appointing election commissioners be withdrawn, Scroll reported. Some speakers from smaller parties went further and demanded treason or sedition cases against the CEC.
Voters who said their names had been deleted in the revision also spoke.
Watch the event
The Congress party streamed the proceedings on its official YouTube channel. It is the party's own recording, not independent footage.
The response
No response from the Election Commission to the event had been published when this story was written. The BJP's response was not reported in the accounts we checked.
Why it has no legal effect
The CEC can be removed only on grounds of "proved misbehaviour or incapacity", through a resolution passed by both Houses of Parliament with a special majority. Opposition leaders have acknowledged, according to earlier reports, that they do not have the numbers.
In April 2026, Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla refused to admit an opposition notice of motion to remove Kumar, after what the secretariats called "a careful and objective assessment", News On AIR reported on 7 April.
What next
The INDIA bloc planned a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, 1 November, as part of its "vote chori" campaign.
How we verified this
VerifiedDetails of the 31 October event are confirmed by three independent outlets (ThePrint, Scroll, UNI) that agree on the date, venue, presiding officer, mover and the six-charge resolution. The April 2026 rejection of the removal notice is from News On AIR (Prasar Bharati). Quotes are as reported by ThePrint and Scroll. All accusations are the opposition’s allegations, not findings. No Election Commission response had been published when this story was written. Video added on 1 November 2026 from the official YouTube channel named in the caption.
Sources
- 1.Left with no choice: INDIA bloc ‘impeaches’ Gyanesh Kumar in mock Parliament — ThePrint
- 2.In ‘public impeachment’ of Gyanesh Kumar, INDIA bloc accuses CEC of ‘conspiring to steal votes’ — Scroll
- 3.INDIA Bloc stages ‘Public Impeachment’ of CEC — United News of India
- 4.RS Chairman and LS Speaker reject notice of motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar (7 April 2026) — News On AIR (Prasar Bharati)
- 5.LIVE: The Public Impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, 10 Rajaji Marg (video) — Indian National Congress (official YouTube channel)
