Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS) : Karnataka Congress leaders and workers staged a protest at Freedom Park here on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was misusing its constitutional authority and excluding eligible voters from electoral rolls.
The protest was led by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad and attended by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Chief Minister and Union Minister Veerappa Moily, AICC Secretary Gopinath Palaniyappan and several party leaders.
Addressing the gathering, Hariprasad said the agitation had been organised to safeguard the Constitution and democratic values.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against alleged electoral irregularities, he said the party would continue its nationwide struggle against what it termed the misuse of powers by election authorities.
Hariprasad alleged that eligible voters had been removed from electoral rolls in several states after the BJP came to power in 2024. He claimed that large numbers of voters were excluded in Bihar and West Bengal and alleged that similar exercises had affected voters in Haryana, Maharashtra and other states.
He further claimed that in Karnataka, over one crore voters had been removed from electoral rolls, while lakhs of entries had been categorised as fake or placed under other classifications. These figures and allegations were presented by Hariprasad during his address and were not independently verified.
“The electoral roll is the foundation of democracy. Every citizen has a constitutional right to vote and elect a government once every five years,” Hariprasad said, alleging attempts were being made to weaken that foundation.
He also urged younger voters, including members of Gen Z, to remain vigilant about protecting their voting rights.
Targeting the BJP leadership, Hariprasad alleged that electoral victories could not be attributed solely to political strategy and claimed that electoral-roll manipulation through the Election Commission was being used to influence outcomes.
He further alleged that the two other Election Commissioners had differed with decisions taken by the CEC on multiple occasions but that their views had not been adequately considered.
The KPCC chief also criticised the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, alleging that the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel had weakened institutional checks and balances.
Hariprasad asserted that the Congress agitation would continue until Gyanesh Kumar stepped down and called upon party workers to intensify the campaign across district headquarters from Monday.
The Election Commission has maintained that decisions related to electoral-roll revision and other electoral processes are taken in accordance with the prescribed statutory framework.
According to the Commission’s official website, Gyanesh Kumar is the Chief Election Commissioner, while Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi serve as Election Commissioners.
