Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday, 26 September issued a sharp warning that the Opposition will mobilise mass street protests if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign and all institutional avenues — Parliament, the President's office, and the Supreme Court — fail to deliver his removal. The remarks signal a significant escalation in the Opposition's campaign against the CEC.

What the Opposition Said

Speaking to reporters, Prithviraj Chavan outlined a clear sequence of escalation: 'Just as a Supreme Court judge can be removed, the Chief Election Commissioner can also be removed. This is a constitutional provision. So, I believe the Opposition leaders should immediately file an impeachment resolution. Still, if nothing material and all efforts (to remove Gyanesh Kumar) are blocked...if the President does not take any decision on this and the Supreme Court also does not take suo motu cognisance. Obviously, the Opposition leaders will have to bring the entire public out onto the streets.'

Chavan added: 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi can find a solution (to the controversy), but if he remains adamant against (Gyanesh Kumar's) resignation, then people will have to come out on the streets.' He expressed hope that such a situation would not arise.

Earlier Impeachment Attempt and Petition

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh recalled that in April this year, 73 Opposition members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha submitted a formal notice to the Secretary-General seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar on grounds of proven misbehaviour. That motion was defeated. Singh alleged: 'The government is trying to protect him (CEC) because he is working for them. BJP leaders want to protect him, but this is no longer restricted to that.'

RJD's Position: A Matter for Citizens Now

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha noted that the Opposition had already exhausted one formal route, saying: 'We had submitted that option earlier as well. Apart from that, a petition has also been filed in the Supreme Court. It is within the Supreme Court's powers to take suo motu cognisance, because all the evidence is before it as well.'

Jha went further, framing the controversy as no longer a partisan dispute: 'Another thing, which I consider most important, is that this is no longer a matter between the Opposition parties and the ruling party. This is now a matter concerning citizens. So, citizens will also decide their strategy.' This framing notably broadens the political stakes of the row.

Background and What's Next

This comes amid sustained Opposition pressure on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its conduct and perceived partisanship. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has so far resisted calls for the CEC's removal, and no fresh impeachment motion has been officially filed since the April attempt. With institutional paths appearing blocked, the Opposition's shift toward public mobilisation language marks a new phase in the standoff. Whether the Supreme Court takes cognisance of pending petitions is expected to be a key determinant of how events unfold in the weeks ahead.