BJP Chief Ministers counter Rahul Gandhi amid Election Commission controversy
The political dispute surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on Sunday, with the BJP deploying a group of Chief Ministers and senior state leaders to respond to allegations raised by Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP organised press conferences across states, a day before Congress was scheduled to hold district-level demonstrations seeking action against Kumar.
The party accused Gandhi and the Opposition INDIA bloc of making unsupported allegations against the Election Commission and attempting to undermine confidence in constitutional institutions.
The confrontation follows a report by The Indian Express concerning objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over several decisions connected with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and related matters.
The Election Commission has acknowledged differences between the commissioners but has maintained that the final decisions were unanimous. The poll body has issued statements explaining its position and has rejected the suggestion that the reported disagreements demonstrate a lack of institutional consensus.
Rahul Gandhi has continued to demand action against Gyanesh Kumar. Congress has argued that questions surrounding the functioning of the poll panel remain unresolved and has linked the controversy to its broader allegations concerning voter-list revisions and electoral processes.
The BJP has rejected those allegations and maintained that the Election Commission has responded to the issues raised by the Opposition.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal also held a virtual meeting with more than 1,000 District Congress Committee presidents ahead of the planned protests.
The dispute has emerged amid continuing political disagreements over the Special Intensive Revision exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission, with both the BJP and Congress presenting sharply different interpretations of the developments.