Ramesh demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, cites Justice Bhuyan's NALSAR remarks

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh, on Monday, stepped up his attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation and citing remarks made by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan during an address at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad.

In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh shared a reference to Justice Bhuyan's address and claimed that the judge had "exposed the CEC lock, stock and barrel". He said Kumar should step down immediately, alleging that his conduct had undermined the credibility of the Election Commission of India.

"Here is the bold Justice Ujjal Bhuyan speaking yesterday in NALSAR University in Hyderabad where he exposed the CEC lock, stock and barrel. If he has any sense of shame Gyanesh Kumar must quit right away,"

Ramesh said. Ramesh further alleged that Kumar's "ability to execute G2's illegal orders" had made him "a liability for the country". The Congress leader's reference to "G2" appeared to be aimed at the political leadership that his party has accused of exerting undue influence over the Election Commission.

The latest attack comes against the backdrop of an increasingly bitter confrontation between the Congress-led Opposition and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in several states and union Territories.

The Congress has alleged that the exercise could lead to the exclusion of large numbers of eligible voters and has demanded greater transparency in the revision process, including access to previous electoral rolls and effective mechanisms for restoring the names of legitimate voters removed from the rolls.

The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR exercise is intended to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls and has defended its constitutional authority to undertake the revision.

The poll panel has rejected allegations that the exercise is politically motivated. Ramesh's remarks signal a further escalation in the Congress's campaign against the Election Commission, with the party repeatedly questioning the functioning of the poll body and seeking greater accountability from its leadership.

The demand for the resignation or removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar has increasingly become a central component of the Opposition's wider campaign over electoral reforms, the SIR exercise and the protection of voting rights.

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