Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani on Thursday, 24 September 2026, defended his explosive remark that he would shoot Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the poll chief of 'destroying the country' for which 'scores of people have laid down their lives.' The comments, made in Patna, sparked an immediate political row and raised fresh questions about the Election Commission of India's internal functioning.

What Sahani Said

Sahani had earlier triggered controversy by stating he would have shot Gyanesh Kumar if he were permitted to commit one murder without consequence. Defending the outburst, he said: 'Certainly, I said that if the Constitution of the country allowed one murder to be forgiven, then I would shoot Gyanesh Kumar. Because at present, he is intent on destroying the country, a nation for which our ancestors were martyred...If anyone comes to destroy this country, we — as descendants of the brave Phoolan Devi — will not hesitate to take up arms.'

He doubled down further, adding: 'If the Constitution had not been there, I would have shot him myself...This country belongs to 1.5 billion people; he cannot do whatever he wants.'

The Trigger: Internal ECI Discord

Sahani's remarks came a day after a media report claimed that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had 'objected on record' to several decisions taken by the poll panel, allegedly without their knowledge. Critics argue this disclosure has intensified concerns about the Election Commission of India's (ECI) independence and internal governance. Sahani appeared to be drawing from that controversy to frame his attack on the CEC.

Bihar and Bengal Voter Deletion Allegations

Sahani levelled specific allegations against the BJP-led Centre and the ECI, claiming elections are being systematically manipulated. Referring to the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, he alleged: 'In Bihar, the public had resolved to oust the BJP; yet, the election process was manipulated by using money and deleting the names of lakhs of voters in order to bring in a BJP-led government.'

He made similar claims about West Bengal, alleging that '27 lakh votes were deleted based on caste and religion, and central forces were mobilised to sway votes in the BJP's favour.' These are allegations that remain unverified and have not been independently corroborated.

Constitutional Rights Argument

Asserting that elections exist for ordinary citizens and not politicians, Sahani invoked B.R. Ambedkar, saying the Constitution grants the people the right to remove politicians who fail them. He argued that fair elections are not being conducted and that lakhs of crores of rupees are being squandered on a flawed electoral process. 'You are essentially throwing the people's money down the drain,' he said, targeting both the Centre and the ECI.

He also warned that if anyone in the country 'acts like the British or Hitler,' the nation's youth will not remain silent — escalating the rhetoric considerably. The VIP chief's remarks are likely to draw legal scrutiny, with political observers noting that threats against constitutional functionaries carry serious implications regardless of political intent.