AP Congress Demands Removal, Arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Andhra Pradesh Congress has demanded the removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

APCC vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji made the demand while leading a Congress protest against the CEC in Vijayawada on Friday. He called for an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities and sought an immediate halt to the SIR exercise.

Shivaji also demanded the restoration of what the Congress claims are 13 crore voter names removed during the revision process. He called for a comprehensive investigation into the electoral roll changes and alleged that the increasing centralisation of voter data was reducing the role and powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) working at the local level.

The Congress leader sought greater decentralisation of the Election Commission's functioning to ensure transparency and accountability. His demands came amid a wider political controversy over the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that differing views within the three-member poll panel are part of normal deliberations and that its final decisions, including those concerning SIR, were taken unanimously.

Shivaji alleged that software-related restrictions were creating difficulties for eligible citizens who have completed 18 years of age and want to register as voters. He questioned why such restrictions were allowed without making necessary changes to the relevant rules and sought an explanation from the Election Commission on who authorised the decisions.

He also urged courts to take suo motu cognisance of allegations relating to “vote theft” and order an appropriate judicial inquiry to establish the facts and fix responsibility.

The Congress leader further demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan make their positions public on the allegations being raised against the Election Commission.

During the protest, Congress workers displayed banners demanding action against Gyanesh Kumar and raised slogans against him.

The Andhra Pradesh protest was part of a broader Congress campaign against the CEC over the SIR controversy, with the party directing its state units to hold demonstrations on September 25 demanding Kumar's removal and arrest and an independent review of electoral-roll changes.