'सरकारी साक्षीदार व्हा, तुम्ही सूत्रधार नाही'; मुख्य निवडणूक...

By GT24x7 Reporter · 12 October 2026 · GlobalToday24x7

Rahul Gandhi Urges Chief Election Commissioner to Resign and Turn State Witness

NEW DELHI — Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi intensified his direct political offensive against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, October 12, 2026, publicly calling on the top election official to "turn approver" regarding alleged electoral manipulation. Speaking to reporters during the opposition INDIA bloc's march toward the Supreme Court in the national capital, Gandhi delivered a direct personal address to the head of the election watchdog, suggesting that Kumar was being utilized by higher political authorities.

"My message to Gyanesh Kumar: Turn approver. You have committed a crime. Frankly, you are not the main criminal. You have made a mistake, but you are not the mastermind behind it. It is easy for you to resign, and doing so would be a service to the nation," Gandhi stated during the media interaction. The Opposition Leader reiterated his claim that significant material evidence exists regarding procedural irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and urged constitutional officers to prioritize democratic transparency over political alignment.

Escalating Opposition Campaign Over Election Commission Integrity and SIR Process

Gandhi's comments represent a further sharp escalation in the political confrontation between the opposition coalition and the Election Commission of India (ECI). The INDIA alliance, alongside civic groups like the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has been carrying out nationwide agitations demanding an immediate halt to the SIR drive, restoration of allegedly deleted voter names, and the formal resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition's campaign gained momentum following media reports highlighting internal administrative notes within the ECI, where dissenting views regarding centralizing voter databases via software systems were previously recorded. Gandhi emphasized that statutory election officials must remain accountable to the Constitution of India, arguing that centralizing voter roll updates at the executive level threatens the foundational independence of the country's electoral framework.

Government and Election Commission Response Rejecting Allegations

Responding to Rahul Gandhi's statements and the opposition's ongoing march, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union government representatives strongly rejected the allegations, characterizing them as deliberate attempts to cast aspersions on independent constitutional bodies. Government spokespersons asserted that the Election Commission operates strictly as an autonomous body and that the Special Intensive Revision is a routine, legally sanctioned administrative process designed to purify voter rolls by removing duplicate, deceased, or shifted entries.

The Election Commission of India has previously issued formal statements clarifying that internal deliberations, written suggestions, and differing opinions among commissioners represent a standard part of its institutional decision-making process. The commission reiterated that final policy decisions regarding voter roll updates are executed unanimously or through established statutory mechanisms, denying any political interference or centralized manipulation.

Broader Institutional Implications and Ongoing Legal Developments

The public standoff has moved to the center of national political debate as opposition leaders seek judicial intervention from the apex court. While the Supreme Court declined an informal in-person meeting with the opposition march delegation on Monday, recommending that grievances be raised through formal legal petitions, opposition leaders affirmed that they will pursue all available statutory and judicial remedies.

Constitutional experts observe that the call for a sitting Chief Election Commissioner to turn approver is unprecedented in Indian political discourse. As state assembly election...