CEC Gyanesh Kumar has lost public trust and must be removed, say former bureaucrats, activists

Congress has launched a nationwide campaign targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following the Supreme Court's clarification that it did not approve any modified version of Form 6. The campaign, named "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao," was announced by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday. He stated that the party would continue its protests until Kumar is removed and the electoral system is corrected. The campaign includes block-level rallies, village meetings, and a major mobilization in Delhi scheduled between October 10 and November 26. Venugopal emphasized that the agitation would not be a short-term protest. He noted that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had directed the party leadership to maintain an aggressive stance. The Supreme Court had earlier clarified that it had not authorized any modifications to Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Venugopal criticized the Election Commission, referring to it as the "Cheating Commission of India." He accused Kumar of misleading the public despite the court's observations and statements from opposition parties. The first phase of the campaign, running from October 10 to 20, involves block-level bike rallies, cycle rallies, and padyatras across the country. These events will include thousands of participants demanding Kumar's removal and will involve burning effigies of the CEC. From October 25 to November 25, Congress workers, designated as "Vote Rakshaks," will organize village-level meetings to identify voters allegedly unfairly deleted from electoral rolls. The campaign will conclude with a large rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 and six "Chalo Delhi" yatras on November 25 and 26. A protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission is also planned for Tuesday. In addition to the Congress campaign, a delegation of former civil servants and social activists served an impeachment notice against Kumar, accusing him of "proved misbehaviour" under Article 324(5) of the Constitution. The notice listed six charges, including undermining the collective functioning of the Election Commission, unauthorized changes to Form 6, unlawful use of ECINET, mass disenfranchisement through SIR, conduct affecting the ECI's impartiality, and breach of statutory duty. The delegation alleged that Kumar had acted in a manner that compromised the integrity of India's electoral democracy. They claimed that the changes to Form 6 and the implementation of SIR had led to the deletion of millions of voter names, disproportionately affecting women, the poor, migrants, minorities, and the elderly. The group demanded Kumar's resignation and, in his absence, called for his removal from office. Police reportedly barricaded the route to the Election Commission ahead of the delegation's attempt to submit their notice. Despite these obstacles, the group proceeded with their demands, highlighting concerns over the ECI's credibility and independence. The Supreme Court had issued a notice to the government and the election commission regarding Kumar's functioning but did not issue an interim order.