Bengaluru, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah on Saturday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and sought criminal proceedings against him, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was compromising its constitutional independence.
Addressing a Congress protest organised by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission must function independently, impartially and transparently and remain accountable to the Constitution rather than 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.
Siddaramaiah referred to reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to decisions taken by the poll panel on several occasions over the past 10 months. A report by The Indian Express said the two commissioners had formally raised objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 on matters including voter registration, electoral-roll deletions and restorations, Form 6 and voter-data management.
He alleged that the reported objections raised serious questions about the functioning of the three-member Commission and accused Gyanesh Kumar of acting in an authoritarian manner.
The ECI, however, has rejected suggestions of a split within the Commission. Following a full Commission meeting on Saturday, it said key decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), including the June 2025 SIR order and related Form 6 provisions, had received unanimous approval from all three commissioners. The Commission also ordered a review of its ECINET platform.
Siddaramaiah also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations concerning irregularities in electoral rolls and backed the party’s campaign seeking greater transparency in the functioning of the poll panel.
“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.
He called upon President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and take appropriate action if any member of the Commission was found to have acted contrary to constitutional provisions. He also referred to Article 324 and the constitutional safeguards governing the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner.
Siddaramaiah urged the Congress to continue its protests and reiterated his demand for Kumar’s removal and criminal proceedings, while the ECI has maintained that its recent decisions were taken unanimously.
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