Opposition Demands CEC Resignation Over Election Commission Dissent

The controversy stems from an investigation detailing how Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi repeatedly challenged procedural shifts under Kumar’s leadership. The areas of contention include the rapid centralization of the ERONET database, unilateral modifications to voter registration forms, and the controversial deletion of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision. While the Election Commission maintains that all final decisions were reached unanimously and carry full legal authority, the Opposition views the internal friction as evidence of institutional capture.

Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the RJD have led a coordinated nationwide protest, labeling the management of the electoral rolls a threat to democracy. Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram challenged the Commission’s claim of unanimity, demanding the release of official records to resolve the discrepancy. Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated distractions. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal questioned the credibility of the charges, asking how the Congress could claim electoral bias if it recently secured victories in states like Kerala. As protests spread from Bihar to West Bengal, the demand for transparency remains the central pillar of the Opposition's campaign against the current leadership of the poll body.