Siddaramaiah demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's removal, criminal case over poll panel conduct
Synopsis
At a Congress protest in Bengaluru, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah escalated the party's national offensive against the Election Commission — demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's removal and a criminal case, citing reports that two fellow commissioners formally objected to at least 14 decisions in 10 months. The ECI has denied any split, setting up a direct institutional confrontation with implications for electoral credibility.
Key Takeaways
Siddaramaiah on 26 September 2026 demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and registration of a criminal case against him.
The demand was made at a KPCC -organised Congress protest at Freedom Park, Bengaluru .
He cited reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections to ECI decisions over the past 10 months .
The Election Commission has denied any split, saying all decisions — including on the Special Intensive Revision — were approved by all three members.
Siddaramaiah called upon President Droupadi Murmu to intervene, invoking Article 324 of the Constitution.
The protest is part of a national Congress campaign led by Rahul Gandhi against the ECI's conduct.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah on Saturday, 26 September 2026, demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the registration of a criminal case against him, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was compromising its constitutional independence and functioning at the behest of the Union government. The demand came at a Congress protest organised by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
What Siddaramaiah Said at the Protest
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah declared that the poll panel must remain loyal to the Constitution — not to any government or political party. 'The Election Commission is a constitutional body. It has to conduct elections independently, impartially and transparently in accordance with the Constitution. If the Election Commission does not function independently, democracy itself cannot survive,' he said.
He alleged that the CEC was 'functioning in an authoritarian manner' and characterised internal dissent within the commission as evidence that Kumar was unfit to continue in office. 'In view of the objections reportedly raised by two members of the Election Commission, the Chief Election Commissioner is not fit to continue in the post even for a moment,' Siddaramaiah alleged.
The Internal Rift Allegations
Central to the Congress's case are reports of friction within the three-member commission. Siddaramaiah alleged that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had reportedly recorded formal objections to at least 14 decisions over the past 10 months. These objections reportedly covered issues including new voter registration, deletion and restoration of names from electoral rolls, changes to Form 6, and voter-data management.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion of any split, maintaining that decisions taken by the commission — including those concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — had the approval of all three members. Notably, the commission's rebuttal directly contradicts the Congress's framing of an institution at war with itself.
Rahul Gandhi's Campaign and the National Context
Siddaramaiah made clear that the Karnataka protest was held under the leadership of KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's broader national campaign against the Election Commission. He said the Congress was holding similar protests across the country demanding the CEC's removal.
He also referred to allegations made by Gandhi regarding 'vote theft' and manipulation of electoral rolls, noting that Gandhi had previously written to the commission on the issue. This comes amid a wider Congress offensive questioning the institutional integrity of the ECI ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
Call for Presidential Intervention
Siddaramaiah further called upon President Droupadi Murmu to intervene, arguing that the President bears a constitutional responsibility to protect the Constitution. He invoked Article 324, noting that the CEC enjoys removal protections similar to those of a Supreme Court judge — underscoring that any action would require a high constitutional threshold.
He also levelled political charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government had come to power through 'vote theft', and questioned what he described as inconsistent application of the party's own retirement-at-75 norm in Modi's case.
What Comes Next
The Congress has signalled it will sustain protest pressure nationally, with Siddaramaiah reiterating demands for both Kumar's removal and a criminal case against him. Whether the agitation escalates into a formal legal or parliamentary challenge remains to be seen. The Election Commission has so far held its position, and the BJP is yet to formally respond to Saturday's Bengaluru protest. All eyes are now on whether President Murmu acknowledges the Congress's appeal and how the ECI responds to the growing political scrutiny of its internal workings.
Point of View
But it rests on a fragile evidentiary base: the 14-objection figure comes from media investigation, not a formal whistleblower complaint or court record, and the ECI has flatly denied any split. If the commission's version holds, the agitation risks looking like political theatre ahead of election season. Yet the underlying question — whether the CEC wields disproportionate authority within the three-member panel — is constitutionally legitimate and deserves scrutiny independent of partisan framing. Invoking Article 324 and calling for presidential intervention raises the stakes considerably; Siddaramaiah knows that removal of a sitting CEC has never occurred in Indian history, making this demand more about political pressure than legal expectation.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Siddaramaiah demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar?
Siddaramaiah has alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar is compromising the Election Commission's constitutional independence and functioning at the Union government's behest. He cited reports that two fellow Election Commissioners formally objected to at least 14 decisions over 10 months as evidence of authoritarian conduct within the commission.
What did Siddaramaiah say about the internal disputes in the Election Commission?
He alleged that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had reportedly recorded formal objections to at least 14 ECI decisions over the past 10 months, covering voter registration, electoral roll changes, and voter-data management. The Election Commission has denied any internal split, saying all decisions had the approval of all three members.
Has anyone been removed as Chief Election Commissioner before?
No Chief Election Commissioner has ever been removed in Indian constitutional history. Siddaramaiah himself acknowledged that the CEC enjoys removal protections similar to those of a Supreme Court judge under Article 324, making the demand politically charged but procedurally complex.
What role does Rahul Gandhi play in this campaign?
The Bengaluru protest is part of a national Congress campaign championed by Rahul Gandhi, who has raised allegations of 'vote theft' and manipulation of electoral rolls and has previously written to the Election Commission on the issue. Siddaramaiah stated that the Karnataka event was held in support of Gandhi's campaign.
Why did Siddaramaiah call on President Droupadi Murmu to intervene?
Siddaramaiah argued that the President has a constitutional duty to protect the Constitution and should take action if Election Commission members are found to have violated constitutional provisions. He invoked Article 324, which governs the ECI's powers and the terms of its members' tenure.
