Kapil Sibal Calls for Suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Amid Controversy

Demand for Immediate Action Against CEC

In New Delhi, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has urged the immediate suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This demand follows a report indicating that two election commissioners had raised concerns regarding the poll panel's actions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on 14 separate occasions over the past ten months.

Sibal has called for an FIR to investigate the motivations behind the CEC's decisions and suggested that all efforts to finalize the voters' list should be halted. He also proposed that the Supreme Court consider exercising its extraordinary powers to conduct fresh elections.

During a press conference, Sibal stated, "If this does not happen, I urge all political parties to peacefully protest across the nation." His comments were prompted by revelations from The Indian Express, which highlighted ongoing disputes within the Election Commission regarding the SIR.

The SIR's national implementation has been overseen by all three commissioners, yet Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected multiple times to decisions made without their consent, including four objections on a single day.

Sibal criticized Gyanesh Kumar for undermining the constitutional responsibilities of the Election Commission. He noted that the original structure of the commission included only one election commissioner, but amendments later established a three-member panel to ensure majority decision-making.

He emphasized that many decisions made after June 25, 2025, were not reached by majority consensus, with the CEC acting independently of the other two commissioners, which he argued violates the commission's own regulations.

Sibal claimed that these unilateral decisions have led to manipulations in the electoral process, attributing this to the actions of the chief election commissioner.

He further explained that if decisions are not made by a majority, they should be deemed invalid. He also raised concerns about the centralization of authority over electoral registration officers (EROs), which he believes has compromised the integrity of the electoral process.

Sibal alleged that the centralization of power allowed for arbitrary changes to the voters' list, suggesting that the intent was to benefit the ruling party in upcoming elections.

He pointed out that amendments to Form 6 were made without necessary changes to the Representation of the People Act, which he argued could force individuals to provide false information.

Sibal concluded by reiterating his call for Gyanesh Kumar's suspension, the cessation of the voters' list finalization, and a thorough investigation into the matter. He insisted that those responsible for the CEC's actions should face prosecution.

Election Commission sources, however, maintain that all decisions, including those related to the SIR, were made unanimously and had the approval of all three commissioners.