Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Friday, 25 September demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, citing reported sharp differences between the CEC and the two Election Commissioners over decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, new voter registration, and voter data. The demand came as pressure mounted on the Election Commission of India (ECI) from multiple opposition parties over the same controversy.

What Patnaik Said

Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, Patnaik declared: 'Because of the strong and sharp differences between the two Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner, the CEC should immediately resign and the whole SIR process should be thoroughly revisited. The BJD has been against this SIR process from the beginning.'

Patnaik's remarks represent the most direct challenge yet from the regional opposition in Odisha to the poll panel's current leadership. The BJD had earlier flagged concerns about the SIR process, and Friday's statement escalates that opposition into a formal call for the top official's removal.

Congress Joins the Offensive

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had on Thursday organised a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, alleging serious irregularities in the electoral process. Congress leader Arabinda Das alleged that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to various decisions of the Commission on 14 occasions over the past 10 months, but that CEC Gyanesh Kumar had allegedly ignored those objections and proceeded according to his own preference.

'The fact that two members of the Election Commission have raised such serious objections against its head shows that the entire system has been compromised,' Das stated at the press conference.

The Congress also announced a rally on Friday from the Power House Square to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Bhubaneswar, demanding the ouster of the CEC.

The Allegations Against CEC and the SIR

A recent investigative media report claimed that the two Election Commissioners had 'objected on record' to several decisions taken by the poll panel, allegedly without their knowledge. Das alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar had been conducting a 'flawed' SIR across the country, thereby allegedly undermining the democratic system. He further alleged that the CEC was acting in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Das also claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated assertions about 'vote theft' over the past three years had now been corroborated by the media investigation — an allegation that remains contested and has not been independently verified.

Background and Broader Context

The SIR is a process mandated by the ECI to intensively revise and update electoral rolls, including adding new voters and removing ineligible ones. Critics — including the BJD and Congress — argue the current round of the SIR has been conducted without adequate transparency and with procedural irregularities. The ECI has not, as of this report, issued a public response to the specific allegations raised by either party.

This is not the first time the ECI's internal processes have come under opposition scrutiny. Concerns about electoral roll integrity have been a recurring flashpoint in Indian politics, but the reported internal disagreements between commissioners — if accurate — add a new dimension to the current row.

What Comes Next

With the BJD and Congress aligned on the demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, opposition pressure on the Election Commission of India is likely to intensify. The OPCC has additionally demanded the impeachment of the CEC and the scrapping of the SIR process. How the Centre and the ECI respond to these mounting demands will be closely watched, particularly given the electoral calendar ahead.