The Opposition INDIA bloc is considering moving an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, The Hindu reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the development.
According to the report, the decision was taken during a meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders, who have been mounting pressure on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over what they allege are large-scale irregularities in the preparation of electoral rolls ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The move follows a press conference by the CEC in New Delhi, where he sought to respond to the Congress party’s allegations of voter theft and bias in favour of the ruling party.
Constitutional Procedure
Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the CEC can only be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge. This means both Houses of Parliament must pass a motion with a two-thirds majority for the removal to take effect.
While the Opposition lacks the numerical strength to push such a motion through, a senior INDIA bloc leader told The Hindu that the move is intended to register their protest against what they allege is partisan conduct by the poll body.
Opposition Campaigns Against Voter Roll Revision
The bloc has also announced a series of protests targeting the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. As part of this campaign, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar on Sunday (August 17, 2025).
Opposition parties allege that the revision exercise is marred by widespread malpractice, resulting in the deletion and manipulation of names to favour the ruling dispensation.
Election Commission’s Defence
Responding to the mounting criticism, the Election Commission issued a detailed statement on Saturday (August 16, 2025), insisting that “utmost transparency is the hallmark of electoral roll preparation as per law, rules and guidelines.”
The Commission said its processes are decentralised and multi-layered, involving Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), usually Sub-Divisional Magistrates, and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Draft electoral rolls, it explained, are shared in both digital and physical formats with all recognised political parties and uploaded on the EC website. A full one-month window is provided for citizens and political parties to file claims and objections before the rolls are finalised.
“The appropriate time to raise any issue with the electoral rolls would have been during the claims and objections period,” the statement said. “Had these issues been raised at the right time through the right channels, it would have enabled the concerned SDM/EROs to correct the mistakes, if genuine, before those elections.”
The Commission further clarified that a two-tiered appeals process is available: the first at the District Magistrate level and the second with the Chief Electoral Officer of each state or Union Territory.
Political Parties’ Role
The poll panel appeared to directly counter the Opposition’s charges by stating that some political parties and their booth-level agents (BLAs) had failed to scrutinise the electoral rolls when they were published. “Some political parties and individuals are raising issues about errors in electoral rolls, including those prepared in the past,” it said.
“ECI continues to welcome the scrutiny of electoral rolls by political parties and any elector. It will help SDMs/EROs to remove the errors and purify the electoral rolls, which has always been the objective of the Commission,” the statement added.
What Lies Ahead
The INDIA bloc’s impeachment plan is unlikely to succeed in parliamentary terms given its lack of numbers. However, the move signals a strategy of sustained pressure on the Election Commission, which the Opposition accuses of compromising democratic fairness.
The ECI, on its part, is set to hold another press conference in New Delhi to address questions surrounding the electoral rolls and to reinforce its position that the revision process adheres strictly to legal safeguards and transparency norms.
As the standoff intensifies, the credibility of the electoral system remains at the heart of the dispute — a contest between the Opposition’s charge of voter theft and the Commission’s defence of its procedures.
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