Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. He made the demand amid the ongoing political controversy surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters in Malappuram on September 28, Chennithala said he had lost confidence in the current Election Commission. He also claimed that people across the country no longer had faith in the poll panel.
Chennithala further argued that the government should restructure the committee that selects Election Commissioners. He called for the inclusion of the Chief Justice of India in the selection process.
Congress leader questions Election Commission
Chennithala’s remarks come amid growing criticism of the Election Commission from Congress leaders and other opposition parties.
He accused the poll panel of undermining the democratic process. He also said conducting another election under the current Election Commission would not provide the level of public confidence he believes elections require.
According to Chennithala, the resignation of the CEC should precede any changes to the process for selecting members of the Election Commission. He said such changes could help strengthen transparency in the electoral system.
The Kerala minister also said the Congress would continue its protests on the issue while seeking the participation of other opposition parties.
Demand comes amid SIR controversy
The latest demand comes against the backdrop of the ongoing dispute over the SIR of electoral rolls.
The revision exercise has triggered questions from opposition parties over voter-list changes and the removal of names from electoral rolls. The controversy intensified after reports said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over issues linked to electoral-roll procedures.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that these discussions represented a formal institutional split. The poll panel has said that its final decisions on the nationwide SIR were unanimous.
Chennithala raises Maharashtra election issue
Chennithala had also criticised the Election Commission over the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election.
On September 25, he alleged that the Congress and its allies lost the election because of what he described as the Election Commission’s “indulgence”. He called the election process a “fraud” and again demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Chennithala said he had been in charge of the Congress campaign in Maharashtra during the election. He referred to reports that two Election Commissioners had raised objections multiple times over electoral-roll decisions and database access.
The Election Commission has maintained that internal questions, feedback and administrative discussions form part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. It has also maintained that final SIR decisions received unanimous approval.
Kerala’s SIR experience also discussed
Chennithala has also addressed questions about the SIR process in Kerala.
He said Kerala represented a different situation because political parties remained vigilant at the grassroots level. He argued that this level of monitoring helped prevent the problems that he alleges occurred elsewhere.
His comments came after BJP leader CR Kesavan referred to Chennithala’s earlier remarks about the SIR process in Kerala. Kesavan had questioned why Chennithala supported the exercise in Kerala while criticising the Election Commission over other elections.
Chennithala responded by pointing to the vigilance of political parties in Kerala as a reason for the difference.
Calls for changes to selection panel
A major part of Chennithala’s demand concerns the mechanism used to select Election Commissioners.
He has called for the selection committee to include the Chief Justice of India. According to him, adding the country’s top judicial authority to the panel would increase transparency in the appointment process.
The demand comes as opposition parties seek changes to the functioning and oversight of the Election Commission. The issue has become closely linked with the wider debate over electoral-roll revisions and institutional accountability.
Election Commission maintains its position
The Election Commission has defended the SIR exercise and its decision-making process.
The poll panel has said that the three Election Commissioners approved the final decisions concerning the nationwide revision unanimously. It has also rejected descriptions of routine internal discussions as evidence of an institutional breakdown.
This position differs from the allegations made by Chennithala and other Congress leaders. The disagreement has now become part of a wider political debate over electoral transparency and the functioning of India’s election machinery.
Political dispute likely to continue
Chennithala’s demand for the CEC’s resignation adds to the growing political pressure surrounding the Election Commission.
The Congress has indicated that it will continue protests while seeking support from other opposition parties. Meanwhile, the Election Commission continues to defend its SIR process and decision-making procedures.
The debate is likely to remain active as electoral-roll revisions continue and political parties raise concerns about voter inclusion, deletions and the functioning of the poll panel. The competing claims from the Congress and the Election Commission highlight the continuing dispute over how India’s electoral system should conduct and oversee large-scale voter-roll revisions.