The clash between the Opposition and the Election Commission has grown sharper. The INDIA bloc has announced plans to impeach Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The step comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Commission of large-scale voter fraud. He claimed the fraud helped the ruling BJP.
The Opposition is invoking Article 324(5) of the Constitution. This provision allows removal of the CEC, but only through a process as tough as impeaching a Supreme Court judge.
Rahul Gandhi earlier alleged “vote chori” in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Haryana. He said over one lakh fake votes in Bangalore’s Mahadevapura constituency gave the BJP a Lok Sabha seat.
CEC Kumar rejected the charges. He called them “baseless.” He demanded Gandhi submit a signed affidavit within seven days or apologise. Kumar warned there was “no third option.” He said without proof the claims would mean nothing.
Rahul Gandhi hit back. He accused the Commission of double standards. He asked why no affidavit was sought from BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur for similar claims.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera supported Gandhi. He said Kumar’s tone sounded like a BJP leader. RJD’s Manoj Jha and JMM’s Mahua Maji also raised concerns. They demanded answers on voter list irregularities shown by Gandhi.
Congress alleged duplicate entries, false addresses, and mass voter registrations in Mahadevapura. The party also accused the EC of blocking access to CCTV footage of polling booths.
Kumar defended the Commission. He said privacy issues prevented releasing the footage. He reaffirmed that electoral rolls were sound and fair.
The confrontation between the INDIA bloc and the EC is now moving to Parliament. Tensions are expected to deepen further.
