Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS): Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, citing reported differences within the Election Commission and alleging that two Election Commissioners had recorded written objections to decisions taken by the poll panel.
In a media statement, Siddaramaiah said developments emerging from within the Election Commission were “deeply alarming” and claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written objections at least 14 times in the last 10 months to decisions and actions of the three-member Commission headed by Gyanesh Kumar.
According to Siddaramaiah, the reported objections relate to issues including the registration of new voters, the addition and deletion of names from electoral rolls, control over the electoral-roll database, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
He referred to an investigative report published by an English newspaper that, he said, reported that one of the Election Commissioners objected to inserting a new question in Form 6, used for registering new voters, without the required legal amendment. The change was reportedly described as “unauthorised and illegal”.
Siddaramaiah also raised concerns over what he described as the “gradual centralisation” of the electoral-roll database and alleged restrictions on access for local election officials who are legally authorised to manage electoral rolls.
He questioned who controls the electoral-roll system, under whose authority changes are being made and why state-level officials do not have complete access to the database.
The former Chief Minister also referred to the SIR process in West Bengal and questioned the filing of nearly 16 lakh appeals seeking deletion of voters after judicial officers had ordered their inclusion in electoral rolls. He asked who filed the appeals and under whose authority.
Siddaramaiah claimed that Sandhu had raised questions about the process with officials and that neither he, the other Election Commissioner, nor the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal had been informed of its basis.
He further alleged that the two Election Commissioners had objected to communications being issued and decisions being taken in the name of the Commission without their approval.
Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission must function institutionally and in accordance with the Constitution and law, and should not be seen as acting in favour of any political party or government.
He said public confidence in the electoral process could be affected if Commission members repeatedly raised objections to its functioning.
He also called for complete transparency and a public explanation regarding the SIR process, changes to electoral rolls and reported disagreements within the Commission.
Describing the issue as one concerning the protection of citizens’ voting rights, Siddaramaiah urged President Droupadi Murmu to remove Gyanesh Kumar from the post of CEC and direct the Union Government to investigate him.
He said free, fair and transparent elections were essential to democracy and asserted that the Election Commission must remain autonomous and accountable.
