Opposition leaders, social activists, students, and civil society members on Saturday, 31 October unanimously passed a 'symbolic public impeachment' resolution at New Delhi, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the initiation of criminal proceedings against him over alleged electoral irregularities and vote theft. The resolution was adopted at the official residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at 10 Rajaji Marg.

Who Was Present and Who Presided

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings. The event drew a broad cross-section of Opposition figures, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and K.C. Venugopal. Also in attendance were Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, and more than 250 Opposition MPs and other participants.

Kharge's Allegations Against the Election Commission

Presenting the resolution, Kharge alleged that the Election Commission had manipulated electoral rolls and election results in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He specifically accused the commission of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to delete 13.2 crore voters' names, centralise control over electoral rolls, and exclude other Election Commissioners from key decision-making processes.

Kharge further claimed that citizens' constitutional right to vote was under serious threat, alleging that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was functioning under the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also demanded an immediate halt to the SIR exercise.

Rahul Gandhi's Demand for Criminal Action

Rahul Gandhi, addressing the gathering, alleged that the deletion of 13.2 crore names amounted to removing nearly 15 per cent of the electorate. He argued this raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which the difference between the Opposition and the ruling parties was reportedly around three percentage points.

Gandhi went further, demanding that Gyanesh Kumar face criminal proceedings, including a sedition case, alleging that the Opposition possessed sufficient evidence of electoral wrongdoing. These are allegations the Election Commission has not publicly responded to, according to available reports.

Key Demands in the Resolution

Beyond the removal of the CEC, the resolution called for the repeal of the 2023 law that grants legal protection to the Chief Election Commissioner. Opposition leaders said they would carry their campaign forward through Parliament and sustained public mobilisation, signalling that Saturday's event was the opening salvo of a broader political offensive.

Context and What Comes Next

The event marks an escalation in the Opposition's long-running confrontation with the Election Commission over the SIR exercise. Critics argue the voter-roll revision process, if conducted without adequate safeguards, risks disenfranchising legitimate voters — a charge the commission has previously denied. Notably, this is not the first time the Opposition has raised concerns about electoral roll deletions, but Saturday's 'symbolic impeachment' format represents a sharper, more theatrical form of protest. With Parliament's next session on the horizon, Opposition leaders are expected to press these demands on the floor of both Houses.