All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) founder Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the arrest the chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and said that fresh polls, based on pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral rolls, should be held in the states where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won after the SIR was conducted.
“Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested and criminal proceedings should be initiated against him. BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] and Kumar are a joint venture company. He was the mastermind behind the ‘Special Incentive from Ruling Party’, looting votes and hijacking counting centres. I have never seen such a scam,” Banerjee said.
Her statements followed a report by The Indian Express that said election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised written objections at least 14 times over 10 months saying they weren’t told about decisions taken in the commission’s name.
Deep Dive
Why did Mamata Banerjee demand the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar?
What are the concerns raised by election commissioners regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process?
What actions are opposition leaders calling for regarding the elections conducted under Gyanesh Kumar's leadership?
“The BJP didn’t win in West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. They did it forcefully. We had repeatedly flagged this issue. No one listened. INDIA bloc leaders informed the Chief Justice of India about everything. We sought an appointment so that we can meet him and describe everything in details,” she said.
No Election Commission of India (ECI) officers commented on Banerjee’s statements. The ECI countered the claims in the media report and said “internal checks-and-balances were standard” practice but decisions were ultimately taken unanimously.
{{/usCountry}}No Election Commission of India (ECI) officers commented on Banerjee’s statements. The ECI countered the claims in the media report and said “internal checks-and-balances were standard” practice but decisions were ultimately taken unanimously.
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Other top leaders of political parties including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav have also launched an attack on the CEC.
While Yadav said that future polls should not be held under Kumar, Kejriwal demanded the arrest and prosecution of the CEC. Gandhi called the alleged “vote chori” a “crime against the Indian people” and a direct attack on the Constitution.
Banerjee said that the CEC has no moral right to continue anymore and that the chair of the CEC doesn’t suit Kumar. The former chief minister also accused the CEC of ensuring that the BJP’s win in all the elections since 2024, including the Lok Sabha polls and the West Bengal assembly polls.
“I came to know that Gandhi and Kejriwal has address the media. INDIA bloc leaders will meet very soon. There needs to be a public awakening. In the states, where the BJP won after conducting SIR, fresh polls should be held on the basis of pre-SIR electoral roll,” Banerjee said.