New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that several decisions of the Election Commission were taken in violation of constitutional and statutory provisions.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Chidambaram referred to a recent Indian Express report that said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period concerning decisions and procedures related to electoral rolls, database access and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Chidambaram questioned the Election Commission’s assertion that decisions were taken unanimously and called for the relevant files and communications to be made public.
He alleged that the CEC had acted beyond his authority and said the records should be disclosed so that the reported differences within the three-member poll panel could be examined.
The Indian Express report said Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns over issues including changes to Form 6 for new voter registration, access to electoral-roll databases and appeals filed in connection with the West Bengal SIR process. The report said the objections were recorded in official communications and were also shared with the CEC.
Chidambaram also questioned the authorisation for appeals filed by the Election Commission before tribunals in West Bengal, arguing that the relevant records should be made public.
Election Commission’s response
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that internal observations amounted to a breakdown in decision-making. In a statement issued on September 23, the poll panel said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks were part of its normal functioning as a multi-member constitutional body.
The Commission said all official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by it carried legal sanction and followed statutory procedures. It also maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were unanimous.
The Indian Express investigation, meanwhile, reported that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected to several decisions over the preceding 10 months, including concerns about electoral-roll database access and changes to voter-registration procedures.
Chidambaram backs resignation demand
Chidambaram said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several opposition parties had called for Kumar’s resignation, and said he supported the demand.
He argued that the Election Commission is a multi-member constitutional body and that disagreements between its members should be addressed through the procedures prescribed by law.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing debate over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission. The reported objections by two Election Commissioners and the ECI’s subsequent defence have intensified scrutiny of the poll panel’s internal decision-making process.
Chidambaram’s statements are political allegations and do not constitute a judicial finding that the CEC or Election Commission acted unlawfully. The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions were taken in accordance with the law and institutional procedures.
