Congress Stages Nationwide Protests Demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation

Congress workers took to the streets in cities across India on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in an escalating row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protests turned tense in several states, with police detaining demonstrators and deploying water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds.

What Triggered The Protests

The controversy stems from a report alleging that objections raised by two of the three election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, during the SIR process were never formally addressed by Kumar. According to Congress, the two commissioners flagged concerns about the revision on multiple occasions but received no response, and decisions were pushed through without their sign-off. The Election Commission functions as a three-member body, and any suggestion that major calls were taken without consensus has given the opposition fresh ammunition against an already contentious exercise.

The SIR itself has been a flashpoint for months, with opposition parties accusing the Commission of using the roll-revision exercise to selectively prune voter lists ahead of state elections. Congress leaders argue the latest report confirms their long-standing suspicion that the process was not run impartially.

Protests Across States

Congress workers attempted to gherao Election Commission offices in multiple state capitals on Friday. In Delhi, police detained protesters at Jantar Mantar who had gathered demanding Kumar's resignation. Visuals shared by the party showed water cannons being used against demonstrators in Patna, the capital of Bihar, a state where the SIR exercise has been especially contentious ahead of assembly polls. In Manipur, police used tear gas after protesters scuffled with security personnel. Similar demonstrations were reported from Kolkata, Lucknow and Assam, with senior Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi, among those detained in some locations.

Congress's Demands

The party is not merely seeking Kumar's resignation but has gone further, demanding his removal and even his arrest, alongside an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made during his tenure as CEC. Congress leaders have framed the issue as a question of institutional integrity, arguing that if two of the three commissioners were effectively sidelined, the credibility of every roll revision signed off during this period is now in doubt.

Why It Matters

The Election Commission is meant to function as a neutral arbiter of India's electoral process, and any credible allegation of internal discord at the top goes to the heart of public trust in that institution. With the SIR exercise already underway or planned in several states ahead of assembly elections, a prolonged standoff over the CEC's conduct could further politicise an already sensitive process. The government and the Election Commission have not yet issued a detailed point-by-point rebuttal to the specific claims about Sandhu and Joshi's objections, and how they respond in the coming days is likely to determine whether the protests escalate further or lose momentum.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.