Assam Congress Protests Against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
Protest in Guwahati Against Election Commission
Protesters burn effigies outside the Manabendra Sharma Complex in Dispur, on Monday. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, Sept 28: On Monday, members of the Assam Congress organized a protest in Guwahati, calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar due to concerns regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The protest took place at the Manabendra Sharma Complex in Dispur, where demonstrators burned effigies representing Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Participants carried banners and shouted slogans such as “Vote chor, gaddi chor,” demanding Kumar's immediate departure from his position.
This demonstration is part of a larger nationwide movement by the Congress party against the Chief Election Commissioner and the electoral body.
Congress has been vocal about its demand for Kumar's resignation amid ongoing political tensions surrounding the ECI and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Bedabrata Bora, chairman of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s media department, stated, “This protest is part of the nationwide demonstration by the Congress party and it will continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns from the post of CEC.”
During the protest, there were brief clashes with security forces, but no significant incidents were reported.
Security measures were heightened at the complex, with barricades set up to restrict the movement of protesters.
Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi accused the central government and the BJP of protecting Kumar.
In a social media update on Monday, he claimed that Kumar is being shielded by Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, and what he referred to as the “BJP-RSS ecosystem” to facilitate the SIR.
“Gyanesh Kumar is being protected by PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, and the BJP-RSS ecosystem to ensure he can continue implementing the SIR. His role is to oversee state elections from 2025 in Bihar to 2026 in West Bengal and Assam, and beyond,” the post stated.
Similar protests occurred in other regions of Assam on the same day, including Nalbari, Biswanath, and Jorhat, where local Congress committees also demonstrated against Kumar and burned effigies.
This protest marks the second demonstration by the Congress in Assam within three days. On September 25, Gogoi and several senior leaders were detained after protesters attempted to breach police barricades during a march from Rajiv Bhawan to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Guwahati.
The Congress initiated its nationwide agitation on September 25 following reports of internal disagreements within the poll panel regarding the SIR process.
In a clarification issued on September 26, the ECI stated that the SIR order, applicable to all states and Union territories, had received unanimous approval.
It also clarified that voters receiving notices about discrepancies would not need to appear in person before electoral registration officers, as booth-level officers would collect necessary documents from their homes.
Despite the ECI's clarification, the political dispute persists, with the Congress dismissing the poll panel's response and continuing to call for action against Kumar.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has criticized the Opposition for the controversy, accusing them of attempting to “blackmail” democratic institutions and demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party.