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Keralam Assembly passes a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing concerns over the SIR exercise and alleged exclusion of eligible voters. (Images: X)
Thiruvananthapuram: The Keralam Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying the political confrontation over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister V. D. Satheeshan, who argued that depriving eligible citizens of their right to vote would amount to a serious violation of the Constitution. The move comes amid growing opposition to the voter roll revision exercise and protests led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The resolution was described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
The resolution raised concerns about the revision of electoral rolls, the alleged exclusion of eligible voters and questions surrounding the impartiality of the Election Commission. It called for corrective action over alleged irregularities in the SIR process and demanded the restoration of voting rights to all eligible citizens who may have been wrongly left out of the electoral rolls. The government maintained that the right to vote must be protected and that concerns over voter exclusion required serious attention.
During the Assembly proceedings, BJP leaders B. Gopakumar and V. Muraleedharan proposed amendments to the resolution. CPM legislators also sought changes, while Saji Cherian raised concerns about the alleged exclusion of 24 lakh voters and referred to software named 'eci.net'. The government rejected the amendments moved by BJP members and two CPM legislators. However, it accepted a verbal amendment suggested by Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan. The amendment proposed replacing the phrase “lakhs of voters were excluded” with “crores of voters”.
Beyond the SIR controversy, the resolution also called for restructuring the committee responsible for selecting Election Commissioners. It proposed including the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India in the selection process, arguing that such a panel could help ensure the appointment of independent Election Commissioners.
The Assembly’s resolution adds a new dimension to the wider political dispute over the SIR exercise. Opposition leaders have raised concerns about the possible removal of eligible voters from electoral rolls, while the Election Commission’s revision process remains under scrutiny. The resolution seeks both action on alleged irregularities and institutional changes aimed at strengthening confidence in the electoral process.
