Mumbai, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with paper ballots, citing reported differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Thackeray’s remarks came after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning electoral-roll management. The report said the objections included concerns over voter registration, deletion of names, access to electoral-roll data and the centralisation of election software.
In a lengthy post on X, Thackeray alleged that the reported dissent demonstrated a loss of autonomy within the constitutional poll panel and claimed that decisions were being taken without the full involvement of the three-member Commission.
He specifically referred to reported disputes over changes to Form 6, voter database controls and the handling of appeals during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The investigation also reported that software-related issues in Goa resulted in 97 voters, whose eligibility had been verified by Electoral Registration Officers, being left off the final roll because the system did not permit the required correction.
Thackeray praised Sandhu and Joshi for placing their objections on record and urged opposition parties to join a wider campaign for electoral reforms. He called for a return to paper ballots in future elections and sought an independent, high-level investigation into what he described as the alleged “masterminds” behind decisions of the ECI.
He also demanded that the government resign, alleging that the integrity of elections had been compromised.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections reflected a breakdown in its functioning. ECI sources said differing views and observations were part of the normal deliberative process and maintained that decisions of the Commission, including those relating to SIR, were approved unanimously by all three Election Commissioners.
Thackeray nevertheless argued that the reported internal objections strengthened concerns earlier raised by opposition parties about electoral processes. He said restoring confidence in the neutrality and autonomy of the Election Commission was essential for ensuring credible democratic contests.
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