INDIA Bloc postpones 'Public Impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar to October 31 over continuous rain

New Delhi, Oct 30 (UNI) The opposition INDIA bloc has postponed its planned symbolic 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar by a day after continuous rain and inclement weather disrupted preparations for the outdoor political demonstration in the national capital.

The event, originally scheduled for Friday, October 30, will now be held on Saturday, October 31, at the lawns of 10 Rajaji Marg, the official residence of Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. The unusual protest, described by the opposition as 'Jan Mahabhiyog', is intended to put the Election Commission and its functioning under public scrutiny and register a collective political protest against what opposition parties allege are serious irregularities in the electoral process, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The INDIA bloc has accused the Election Commission, under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, of undermining the integrity of the electoral process through arbitrary deletions of voters' names, procedural discrepancies and alleged manipulation of electoral rolls.

The opposition maintains that the SIR exercise has threatened the voting rights of eligible citizens and raised serious questions about the independence and impartiality of the constitutional institution responsible for conducting elections. The symbolic proceedings will be conducted in the format of a mock parliamentary session, with former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presiding over the exercise. Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to move the symbolic motion seeking the impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner, while Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will deliver the concluding address before the motion is put to a symbolic vote. Around 30 to 40 speakers representing 21 political parties are expected to participate in the proceedings, alongside civil society representatives, student organisations and citizens who claim to have been affected by the revision of electoral rolls.

The participation of representatives from different sections of society is intended to underline the opposition's contention that the controversy surrounding the SIR exercise goes beyond a partisan political dispute and concerns the fundamental right to vote. The opposition has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of failing to address concerns over the deletion of names from electoral rolls, inadequate opportunities for affected voters to establish their eligibility and inconsistencies in the revision process. It has also questioned the transparency of the procedures and the accountability of election officials. The proposed public impeachment is not a constitutional or legal proceeding and cannot result in the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner. Under the Constitution, the CEC can be removed only through a parliamentary process on grounds and in the manner applicable to the removal of a Supreme Court judge.

The INDIA bloc's exercise is therefore a political demonstration designed to mobilise public opinion and articulate its allegations against the electoral machinery. The venue for the proceedings is also significant. The opposition had initially planned a public demonstration but shifted the programme to Kharge's residence after permission to hold the event at public venues was not granted. The lawns of 10 Rajaji Marg will now provide the setting for the mock parliamentary proceedings.

The programme is also expected to serve as a curtain-raiser for the INDIA bloc's larger mobilisation against alleged electoral irregularities. Opposition parties have called for a major rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday, November 1, under the broader campaign to 'Save Vote, Save Democracy', seeking to bring the issue of electoral integrity to the centre of the national political debate.

The postponement has consequently shifted the symbolic proceedings to the eve of the proposed rally, giving the opposition another opportunity to consolidate its campaign against the Election Commission and demand accountability over the SIR exercise. By bringing together leaders of 21 political parties, civil society representatives and citizens, the INDIA bloc hopes to turn its objections to the revision of electoral rolls into a wider public movement centred on the protection of voting rights and the credibility of India's electoral democracy.

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