Prashant Kishor expands criticism of Election Commission integrity

Speaking in Samastipur, Kishor contended that public distrust in the poll body stems from systemic issues including the timing of election cycles, the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, and suspicious patterns during vote counting. He specifically demanded the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while also targeting former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, pointing to his subsequent appointment as Chairman of HDFC as evidence of compromised impartiality.

This escalation follows sustained protests by the INDIA bloc at Raj Ghat, where leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge gathered to demand accountability for electoral roll revisions. The BJP has dismissed these accusations, with national president Nitin Nabin labeling the opposition’s stance as evidence of an anarchic mindset and challenging Rahul Gandhi to resign instead. With further demonstrations planned in Delhi, the political standoff over the neutrality of the country's electoral machinery shows no sign of cooling.