NEW DELHI — The Opposition INDIA bloc has reportedly decided on Monday to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying its confrontation with the Election Commission over allegations of large-scale voter fraud.
The decision was taken at a meeting of INDIA floor leaders chaired by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
The move comes days after CEC Kumar issued a seven-day ultimatum to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asking him to either submit an affidavit substantiating his charge of “vote chori” (vote theft) or publicly apologise for making what the poll panel described as “baseless allegations.”
At a meeting of floor leaders, opposition parties reportedly agreed to explore the constitutional route of seeking Kumar’s removal. Sources said Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain was among those who suggested filing an impeachment notice in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of inflating voter lists and enabling electoral malpractice in several states, including Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana. He cited instances of duplicate entries and bogus registrations, insisting that the “integrity of Indian democracy” had been compromised.
The Election Commission has strongly rejected the charges, with Kumar calling them “an insult to the Constitution” and asserting that the poll body’s credibility cannot be questioned without evidence.
Under the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner can only be removed through a process akin to the impeachment of a Supreme Court judge — requiring a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament. With the ruling NDA holding comfortable numbers, the Opposition faces an uphill task in converting its threat into action.
Despite the numerical challenge, leaders of the INDIA bloc said the move was necessary to send a political message that constitutional authorities must remain impartial. “We may not have the numbers, but we have a duty to raise our voice when institutions are under attack,” a senior Congress leader said.
The escalating standoff between the Opposition and the Election Commission is expected to dominate proceedings in the ongoing Monsoon Session, with both sides digging in their heels.
