Rahul Gandhi Demands Gyanesh Kumar’s Removal, Repeats ‘Vote Chori’ Charge Amid EC Row

Rahul Gandhi Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation, Repeats ‘Vote Chori’ Allegations

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and renewed his allegations of “vote chori”, following a report about differences within the Election Commission.

Gandhi’s remarks came a day after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to various decisions and instructions of the poll panel. The report said the objections covered issues including voter additions and deletions, changes to Form 6 and the handling of voter data.

The Election Commission, however, rejected the interpretation that the reported disagreements represented a split in the poll panel. It said decisions were taken unanimously and that individual deliberations should not be treated as the Commission’s final position.

Gandhi Repeats Electoral Rigging Claim

Addressing the issue, Gandhi alleged that irregularities had affected elections across the country and repeated his earlier “vote chori” charge.

“I have shown it with proof, and there is already more than enough information to make this a 100 per cent certainty that Indian elections, Lok Sabha elections, 2024 election, Vidhan Sabha elections are all being rigged,” he said.

Gandhi also referred to the reported objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi, saying the two Election Commissioners had “done a wise thing”. He urged Gyanesh Kumar to “think seriously and turn approver”.

The allegations remain disputed. The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions were taken through the Commission’s established process and unanimously.

Rahul Gandhi Recalls His Dissent Over CEC Appointment

Gandhi also referred to his opposition to the process through which Gyanesh Kumar was appointed CEC.

Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, a selection committee recommends candidates for appointment to the President. The law provides for a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi said he had recorded a dissent during the appointment process, arguing that the selection mechanism should remain independent of executive influence.

Gandhi Questions Anti-Incumbency Trends

The Congress leader also questioned what he described as the disappearance of anti-incumbency in several states.

Referring to Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, Gandhi said these states had historically witnessed changes in electoral outcomes but claimed that the pattern had changed in recent elections.

“Haryana swings from one party to another for 50 years. Suddenly anti-incumbency disappears. Maharashtra swings; suddenly it disappears. Uttar Pradesh swings. Sometimes Samajwadi, sometimes BSP; it disappears. Madhya Pradesh, it disappears. Gujarat, it disappears. This has been a fundamental question for us,” he said, according to ANI.

Gandhi added that while the Opposition could assess a government’s performance and a leader’s popularity, it could not understand what he described as the disappearance of anti-incumbency.

‘Vote Chori To Kanun Chori’: Gandhi

Gandhi further linked his allegations about electoral processes to broader concerns over institutions.

“From vote-chori comes Kanun-chori…. From Kanun-chori comes Sanstha chori — institutions. This is the chain that has taken place,” he alleged.

He argued that if elected representatives had secured their positions through manipulated votes, questions would subsequently arise over laws passed and institutional changes made by them.

BJP Rejects Gandhi’s Claims

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari rejected Gandhi’s allegations and criticised his remarks.

Bhandari disputed Gandhi’s suggestion that there had been no anti-incumbency against the BJP since 2014, citing elections that the party had lost during that period. He also referred to Congress victories in Rae Bareli while questioning Gandhi’s allegations about electoral manipulation.

The BJP has separately defended the Election Commission’s internal deliberations, with spokesperson Sambit Patra describing disagreements among Election Commissioners as part of the democratic process.

The dispute comes amid a wider political confrontation over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the reported objections raised by two of the three Election Commissioners. Opposition parties have called for action against Gyanesh Kumar, while the poll panel has maintained that its decisions were taken unanimously.