- INDIA bloc plans September 30 meeting over ECI, electoral rolls.
- Reported internal ECI dissent fuels opposition’s strong criticism.
- Opposition parties demand CEC removal, coordinate fresh removal notice.
- Election Commission defends process, citing lawful institutional procedures.
Opposition parties of the INDIA bloc are expected to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission of India and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, sources said. The proposed meeting comes amid increased coordination among opposition parties following reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission over aspects of the SIR exercise. The parties are discussing a coordinated response to the issue, according to reports.
INDIA Bloc Meet
The September 30 meeting is expected to bring together leaders from several opposition parties to discuss the Election Commission, SIR and other issues of common concern.
The developments follow a report by The Indian Express detailing multiple objections recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions linked to the electoral roll revision. According to the report, the two commissioners raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period.
The reported disagreements have since become a major point of contention between the opposition and the poll panel, with opposition parties seeking greater scrutiny of the Commission’s functioning.
Left Seeks Removal
The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have sought the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the SIR exercise to be suspended.
The Congress has also stepped up its criticism of Kumar. The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on September 29 to discuss the party’s response to the developments surrounding the Election Commission and SIR.
Opposition parties are also working on a fresh notice seeking Kumar’s removal. If formally submitted, it would be the third such removal initiative against the CEC by opposition parties.
TMC, CPI(M) Coordinate
The Election Commission row has also brought the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M), political rivals in West Bengal, into closer coordination on the issue.
CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby has written to INDIA bloc leaders and other opposition figures seeking a joint meeting. Baby also spoke with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, with the two leaders discussing the need for a coordinated response, according to reports.
Banerjee has also been reported to have spoken with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding an INDIA bloc meeting on the issue.
EC Defends Process
The political developments follow The Indian Express report that Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns over several decisions and orders related to the SIR process.
Among the issues detailed in the report were changes to Form 6 for new voters, access to electoral roll databases, and aspects of the handling of appeals in West Bengal. The report said the two commissioners had raised concerns about decisions allegedly taken without their knowledge or approval.
The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion can occur as part of institutional functioning and that its decisions and orders are backed by law and established procedures.
The poll panel’s response comes as opposition parties seek to turn the reported internal disagreements into a broader discussion on the conduct of the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission.
CEC Events Postponed
The controversy also comes days after the Election Commission postponed two youth-focused programmes in Uttar Pradesh that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was scheduled to address.
The events in Meerut and Varanasi were postponed indefinitely, according to reports. The Election Commission said the changes were due to factors including venue availability, schedules of senior officials and other logistical considerations, and denied that the decision was linked to the ongoing controversy.
The September 30 meeting, if held as proposed, is expected to provide a platform for opposition parties to discuss their approach to the Election Commission and SIR, as well as the proposed move seeking action against the CEC.
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