Opposition weighs no-confidence motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

NEw new delhi: The oppositeness is considering bringing a no-confidence question against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after the garbage disposal of a similar question against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, which is currently pending before the Lower House, said two senior opposition leaders on Monday.“Talks have been held with INDIA group allies and all parties are on board to bring a no-confidence motion against Kumar over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in various states,” said a senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity.“It will be done one at a time. We expect the notice against Birla will be taken up on Tuesday,” said the Congress leader.The signatures of at least 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and at least 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha are required for the notice to be considered.Also Read | EC rejects Rahul Gandhi’s charge against CEC Gyanesh Kumar as ‘baseless’According to a 2023 law on the appointment and functions of CEC and ECs, “the Chief Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.” In other words, this means that a CEC can be removed only through impeachment in both Houses of Parliament.A motion for removal may be introduced in either House of Parliament and must be passed by a special majority—a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.In the Opposition leaders’ meeting on floor strategy on Monday morning, Trinamool Congress chief whip Shatabdi Ray reminded the leaders that the TMC wants a debate on SIR as a priority.Kumar and the Opposition have repeatedly clashed over SIR, which began in Bihar last year and recently was conducted in 12 regions. In September 2025, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Kumar was “protecting vote thieves and destroying democracy.”Rahul Gandhi even held two press conferences to allege that the ECI didn’t stop the enlisting of dubious voters in Karnataka and Maharashtra, drawing sharp reactions from the poll panel.The Opposition even went to the Supreme Court to stop the SIR, which they alleged was biased in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The apex court, however, didn’t stop SIR even as it held protracted hearings on the modalities of the exercise.Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee became the first CM to actively argue against SIR in the Supreme Court. “We have only one point; everyone must be given the right to vote. We want to ensure voting rights for all…If you think you can capture power by attacking people, intimidating them and removing names from the voters’ list, that will not happen,” the CM said on Monday.The TMC, which had initially distanced itself from the Congress-led Opposition’s efforts to remove Birla, later offered support as it wanted the Opposition to back its effort to remove Kumar.To be sure, both resolutions are set to fail as the National Democratic Alliance has enough strength in both Houses to defeat any no-confidence motion.BJP MP Sambit Patra said, “...The way the Election Commission is being abused and the words being used, show only one thing that all constitutional institutions have their own limits, each has its own boundary and one constitutional institution always respects another constitutional institution.”