Political Parties Demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation Over Electoral Roll Deletions

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is facing demands for his resignation and removal from several political parties and youth organizations in India. This follows alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which reportedly resulted in the deletion of around 13 crore voter names across 30 states and Union Territories. Two other Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reportedly raised 14 formal objections over a 10-month period concerning SIR-related decisions and the handling of electoral-roll data. Protests have been organized nationwide by parties including the Indian National Congress, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party, and various Left parties, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) also filed in the Supreme Court against Kumar.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in June 2025, with the controversy escalating after a September 23, 2026 report detailed internal dissent within the Election Commission of India (ECI). On September 24, 2026, AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the ECI of being "hijacked" and demanded Kumar's removal, while the CJP issued a 48-hour ultimatum for his resignation. By September 25, 2026, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court, and both the CJP and Congress launched nationwide protests. On September 29, 2026, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) met, with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge demanding Kumar's immediate removal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, while Left party leaders protested at the ECI headquarters.