Venugopal demands arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar; CWC, INDIA Bloc to meet
Synopsis
Congress's K.C. Venugopal has gone beyond calls for resignation — he wants Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar arrested. With the CWC and INDIA Bloc both set to convene, and nationwide protests running from 26 September to 2 October, the opposition is mounting its most coordinated institutional challenge to the Election Commission in recent memory, anchored in reports of a deep internal rift between the CEC and his two fellow commissioners.
Key Takeaways
Venugopal on 25 September 2026 demanded the arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar , saying resignation was insufficient.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will hold a special meeting next week to discuss the Election Commission crisis.
The INDIA Bloc will also convene separately to coordinate a response.
Investigative reports allege Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised internal objections over a period of 10 months .
Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accused Kumar of overriding the legal opinions of the other two commissioners, undermining collective functioning.
Nationwide opposition protests are scheduled from 26 September to 2 October , focused on protecting constitutional institutions.
K.C. Venugopal, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Organising Secretary, on Friday, 25 September 2026, demanded the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, stating that Kumar's resignation was 'not the need of the hour.' The escalating row over reported internal divisions within the Election Commission of India (ECI) has triggered a fresh and sharp political confrontation, with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the INDIA Bloc both set to convene emergency discussions next week.
What Venugopal Said
Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Venugopal said the matter would be placed before the Congress Working Committee at a meeting to be convened next week. He further confirmed that a meeting of the INDIA Bloc — the broader opposition alliance — would also be held to deliberate on the developments surrounding the Election Commission. His remarks marked a significant escalation from earlier opposition calls for Kumar's resignation, moving directly to demands for criminal action against the constitutional functionary.
The Internal Rift at the ECI
The controversy stems from investigative media reports indicating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had internally raised objections to decisions and processes of the poll panel over the past 10 months. The three-member Election Commission is structured such that the Chief Election Commissioner is first among equals — not the most senior member — and decisions are expected to be taken unanimously wherever possible. Critics argue the reported overriding of legal opinions recorded by the two Election Commissioners represents a structural breakdown of this collective model.
Protests in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan Joins Attack
Congress leaders and workers marched towards the Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, demanding the immediate removal of Gyanesh Kumar. The protest is part of an ongoing party campaign against the functioning of the Commission, which the Congress has described as marked by serious violations of the principles governing the poll panel.
CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also trained his sights on Kumar, alleging that the credibility of the Election Commission — an institution responsible for ensuring free and fair elections — was being 'seriously undermined.' Vijayan alleged that the CEC had overridden legal opinions recorded by the other two Election Commissioners, effectively dismantling the collective functioning of the body.
Electoral-Roll Revision at the Heart of the Row
The controversy has centred particularly on the Commission's conduct during electoral-roll revision exercises, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Special Summary Revision. Vijayan alleged that non-transparent decisions were being imposed in these exercises, and demanded that the revision processes be stopped and that voting rights allegedly denied to excluded citizens be restored.
What Comes Next
Vijayan urged democratic forces to participate in nationwide protests scheduled from 26 September to 2 October, framing them as a campaign to protect constitutional institutions and democratic norms. With the CWC meeting and an INDIA Bloc conclave both imminent, the opposition appears to be building toward a coordinated, nationwide pressure campaign — one that could intensify scrutiny on the Election Commission ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
Point of View
Raising the stakes considerably. The opposition's move to bring both the CWC and the INDIA Bloc into the conversation signals an intent to institutionalise the pressure, not just express it. What mainstream coverage risks missing is the structural question at the core: if the reports of two Election Commissioners formally dissenting over 10 months are accurate, the ECI's vaunted consensus model is already broken — and that is a constitutional problem irrespective of which party benefits. The nationwide protest window, timed ahead of any upcoming electoral exercises, suggests the opposition is less interested in Kumar's removal per se and more in delegitimising the electoral-roll revisions already under way.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is K.C. Venugopal demanding the arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar?
Venugopal has called for Kumar's arrest — not merely his resignation — over alleged violations of the principles governing the Election Commission, including reports that the CEC overrode legal opinions formally recorded by the other two Election Commissioners. The Congress frames this as a criminal undermining of a constitutional institution, not just a policy disagreement.
What is the internal rift inside the Election Commission about?
Investigative media reports indicate that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised internal objections to decisions and processes of the poll panel over a period of 10 months. Critics allege that CEC Gyanesh Kumar overrode their legal opinions and imposed non-transparent decisions, particularly in electoral-roll revision exercises such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
What will the Congress Working Committee and INDIA Bloc discuss?
Both forums will take up the Election Commission row — the CWC at a meeting to be convened next week, and the INDIA Bloc at a separate conclave. The discussions are expected to produce a coordinated opposition strategy, potentially including further escalation and support for the nationwide protests from 26 September to 2 October.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and why is it controversial?
The Special Intensive Revision is an electoral-roll revision exercise conducted by the Election Commission to update voter lists. Opposition parties, including Congress and CPI(M), allege that the ongoing SIR and Special Summary Revision have been conducted in a non-transparent manner that has excluded eligible voters from the rolls, effectively denying them their franchise.
What protests are planned over the Election Commission controversy?
Nationwide protests are scheduled from 26 September to 2 October 2026. Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged democratic forces to participate, describing the campaign as a defence of the Constitution and democratic institutions against what he characterised as an undermining of the Election Commission's independence and collective functioning.
