INDIA bloc turns protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar into a public impeachment: What happened in Delhi on October 31?

The INDIA bloc's confrontation with the Election Commission took a dramatic turn in Delhi on Saturday, October 31. What began as a protest against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls turned into a symbolic public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with Opposition leaders accusing him of undermining the country's electoral process.

The programme, held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence at 10 Rajaji Marg, was not a formal constitutional impeachment proceeding. Instead, the Opposition organised a mock parliamentary exercise to present its allegations against the CEC publicly and demand his removal.

The event also served as a build-up to the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan under the slogan 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao'.

How did the day unfold?

The programme was originally scheduled for October 30 but was postponed because of rain in the national capital.

On Saturday, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings. Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, moved the resolution against Gyanesh Kumar.

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad and Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy served as vice-presidents of the proceedings.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Opposition leaders attended.

The gathering also included civil society representatives, student leaders and people who said their names had been deleted from electoral rolls.

The proceedings followed a parliamentary format, with the Opposition presenting its allegations against the CEC. The resolution seeking his removal was adopted at the end of the symbolic exercise.

The programme was part of the INDIA bloc's wider campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

What were the six charges against Gyanesh Kumar?

The central part of the programme was the resolution moved by Kharge, which listed six allegations against the CEC.

The first accused Kumar of participating in an alleged conspiracy with the ruling BJP to manipulate national and state elections by allowing arbitrary additions and deletions to electoral rolls.

The second concerned the Special Intensive Revision. The Opposition alleged that the exercise had resulted in the intentional deletion of 13.2 crore voters, depriving eligible citizens of their right to vote. This figure was part of the Opposition's allegations and should not be interpreted as an independently verified count of eligible voters wrongly removed.

The third charge concerned alleged changes to Form 6, used for the inclusion of names in electoral rolls. The bloc claimed that changes had been made without adequate parliamentary oversight and could make it more difficult for first-time voters to register.

The fourth allegation focused on the use of ERONET and ECINET software to centralise control over electoral rolls. The Opposition claimed that the system could be used to delete voters and restrict local Electoral Registration Officers from adding eligible names.

The fifth charge concerned the alleged exclusion of the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, from important decisions. The Opposition claimed that the two commissioners had recorded at least 14 objections over a period of ten months.

The sixth charge accused Kumar of failing to act independently and allegedly functioning at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The resolution also raised allegations concerning benefits received by members of his family.

Kharge described the alleged actions as a betrayal of the Constitution and demanded that Kumar be removed and tried for treason.

These were allegations made by the Opposition. The public proceedings did not establish the CEC's guilt or constitute a judicial finding of wrongdoing.

Why is the SIR at the centre of the controversy?

The Special Intensive Revision is an Election Commission exercise aimed at updating electoral rolls by verifying voter details and identifying entries that require correction or removal.

The Opposition has repeatedly questioned the manner in which the exercise has been conducted, arguing that eligible voters could be excluded because of procedural difficulties, inadequate verification or administrative errors.

The controversy gained further momentum following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to decisions concerning the management of electoral rolls.

The Opposition has used these reported disagreements to question the functioning and independence of the Election Commission.

However, the Election Commission has maintained that its decisions were unanimous. The allegations made during Saturday's programme remain political charges and should not be treated as established findings of wrongdoing.

BJP hits back as Opposition escalates its campaign

The BJP criticised the Opposition's exercise.

Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Sambit Patra called the programme a mockery of Parliament and took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, suggesting that Congress could keep him as a 'mock Prime Minister' for life.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also challenged Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to discuss allegations of vote theft in Parliament. He accused the Opposition of blaming the Election Commission for its electoral defeats.

The political confrontation, therefore, extended beyond the allegations against Kumar to a larger disagreement over the credibility of electoral institutions and the conduct of elections.

What happens next?

The symbolic impeachment does not remove Gyanesh Kumar from office.

Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the CEC can be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge. Removal requires the prescribed parliamentary process, including special majorities in both Houses of Parliament and an address to the President.

The INDIA bloc's public resolution has no legal power to remove Kumar or complete this constitutional process. Earlier notices seeking his removal had also been rejected by the presiding authorities of both Houses in April 2026.

The bloc's next major programme is the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan under the slogan 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao'. The rally is intended to intensify its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and the SIR exercise.

For the INDIA bloc, Saturday's proceedings were about turning its allegations against the Election Commission into a wider public campaign. Whether the exercise can translate into sustained political pressure remains to be seen.

For now, the Opposition has taken its fight from parliamentary proceedings and the streets to a symbolic public hearing. The real test will be whether it can turn that political demonstration into a sustained demand for institutional accountability.