Gyanesh Kumar deserves Padma Bhushan, says Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya
Synopsis
Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya's call for a Padma Bhushan for CEC Gyanesh Kumar puts the ruling party squarely behind the poll body's controversial Special Intensive Revision drive in West Bengal — even as reports emerge of two Election Commissioners objecting on record, and opposition parties threaten nationwide agitation from October 2 over the CEC's continuation in office.
Key Takeaways
Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya on 25 September 2026 said CEC Gyanesh Kumar 'at least deserves a Padma Bhushan' for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Bhattacharya credited Kumar with removing alleged 'Bangladeshi infiltrators' from West Bengal's voter lists.
A media report has claimed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi 'objected on record' to several Commission decisions, including those related to SIR.
Rahul Gandhi had called on Gyanesh Kumar to resign; Bhattacharya dismissed Gandhi's remarks, saying his own party does not take him seriously.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has threatened a nationwide agitation from 2 October if the CEC does not resign.
Congress leaders and workers held protests across multiple states on Friday, demanding the CEC's immediate arrest.
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Samik Bhattacharya on Friday, 25 September 2026, said that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar 'at least deserves a Padma Bhushan', crediting him for conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Speaking to reporters in Panihati, near Kolkata, Bhattacharya's remarks came amid a broader political storm over the Election Commission's recent decisions.
What Bhattacharya Said
'Gyanesh Kumar deserves, at the very least, the Padma Bhushan. The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay. There were no incidents of murder, and people were actually allowed to cast their votes,' Bhattacharya said. The Padma Bhushan is India's third-highest civilian honour.
He further credited CEC Kumar with removing what he described as 'Bangladeshi infiltrators' from Bengal's electoral rolls. 'In a border state like this, Gyanesh Kumar took the initiative to remove the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voter lists,' Bhattacharya stated. He added that 'the people of West Bengal have rarely witnessed an election like this.'
The Political Background
Bhattacharya's comments come in the wake of a media report claiming that two other Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had 'objected on record' to several decisions taken by the poll panel — including those related to the SIR — allegedly without their prior knowledge. The report has intensified political scrutiny of the Commission's internal functioning.
The Bengal BJP chief also hit back at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who a day earlier had questioned the 'absence of anti-incumbency' during the BJP regime and advised Gyanesh Kumar to resign and turn an 'approver'. Bhattacharya dismissed Gandhi's remarks sharply: 'The fact is, even the Congress party itself doesn't heed Rahul Gandhi's words; they don't take him seriously.'
Opposition Demands and Protests
Multiple opposition parties have been demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has issued a warning of a nationwide agitation from 2 October if the CEC does not step down. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, at a press conference a day before, questioned why the BJP is defending the Chief Election Commissioner, noting that 'he is not a leader of the party.'
Earlier on Friday, Congress leaders and workers staged protests across several states, reiterating demands for the CEC's resignation and calling for his immediate arrest.
What's Next
With opposition parties threatening escalating action from October 2 and internal dissent within the Election Commission reportedly on record, pressure on the CEC is likely to intensify in the coming days. Whether the ruling party's vocal backing translates into political insulation for Gyanesh Kumar remains to be seen.
Point of View
Not just an endorsement of administrative competence. By tying Gyanesh Kumar's tenure to free-and-fair polling and the removal of alleged foreign infiltrators, the party frames opposition criticism as an attack on electoral integrity itself. Yet the reported internal dissent within the Commission — two Commissioners allegedly objecting on record — complicates that narrative and raises genuine institutional questions that have not been adequately addressed in public. The escalating opposition threat of an October 2 agitation means this row is unlikely to fade quietly, and the Centre's silence on the dissent reports will itself become a story.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya recommending a Padma Bhushan for CEC Gyanesh Kumar?
Samik Bhattacharya is recommending the Padma Bhushan for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in recognition of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, which he credits with ensuring violence-free polling and the removal of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators from voter lists. The Padma Bhushan is India's third-highest civilian honour.
What is the controversy around the Election Commission's internal functioning?
A media report has claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi 'objected on record' to several decisions taken by the poll panel, including those related to the SIR, allegedly without their prior knowledge. The report has drawn sharp political reactions from opposition parties.
What has Rahul Gandhi said about Gyanesh Kumar?
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, questioned the 'absence of anti-incumbency' during the BJP's tenure and advised Gyanesh Kumar to resign and turn an 'approver'. Bhattacharya dismissed these remarks, saying even the Congress party does not take Gandhi seriously.
What action has the opposition threatened over the CEC?
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has warned of a nationwide agitation beginning 2 October 2026 if CEC Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. Congress leaders and workers also held protests across several states on Friday, demanding the CEC's resignation and immediate arrest.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise undertaken by the Election Commission to comprehensively review and update voter rolls in a state. In West Bengal, it has been at the centre of political controversy, with the BJP crediting it for improving electoral integrity and opposition parties raising concerns about how it was conducted.
