Opposition Considering Impeachment Of CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over ‘Vote Chori’ Row as CEC Hits Back
The opposition is reportedly considering the significant step of moving an impeachment notice against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar amid the escalating “vote chori” (vote theft) controversy, according to sources. Signaling the seriousness of the discussions, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi remarked, “We will be taking a decision very soon.”
However, any such move faces a steep uphill battle, as the ouster of a CEC requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament, a numerical strength the Opposition currently does not possess.
The potential for impeachment proceedings follows a direct and forceful rebuttal from CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday, who strongly defended the integrity of India’s electoral process against allegations of fraud leveled by the Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi.
Without naming the Leader of the Opposition directly, Kumar challenged him to either submit a sworn affidavit backing his claims within seven days or “apologise to the nation.” The CEC dismissed the “PPT presentation” shared by the Congress MP as containing a “wrong analysis” of voter data.
In his defense of the poll body’s processes, Kumar specifically addressed some of the claims by citing examples from the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Karnataka, an area where the Congress itself won in the 2023 Assembly polls, to counter allegations of widespread manipulation. The CEC also set a firm deadline, stating that no complaints regarding the draft list of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar would be accepted after September 1.
The controversy ignited after Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on August 7, where he alleged major irregularities, including numerous duplicate entries, voters listed with house number zero, and dozens of voters registered to a single address. The Election Commission has since issued a detailed rebuttal addressing each of the major points raised by Gandhi.
