Congress Protest Over Election Commission Row

The Congress has directed its state units to organise protest marches to their respective State Election Commission offices on September 25, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has announced the protests in response to reports of differences within the three-member poll panel and has called for action against Kumar.

The controversy intensified after an Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period to various decisions and orders concerning electoral-roll procedures and the Special Intensive Revision. The Election Commission, however, said that differing views are part of institutional deliberations and maintained that all final decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.

The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on September 29 to discuss the Election Commission controversy, the SIR issue and the party’s strategy. The meeting comes amid growing political debate over the functioning of the poll panel and demands from opposition parties for action concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar.