Symbolic impeachment of CEC: BJP backs Gyanesh Kumar, dismisses Form 6 manipulation claims

New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp counter-offensive on Saturday, 31 October, against the opposition INDIA bloc's symbolic "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, BJP National Spokesperson and Member of Parliament Sambit Patra dismissed the opposition's staged event as a political drama. He asserted that by organising a "mock parliament", the Congress party and its allies were making a mockery of Parliament itself.

BJP terms opposition protest a mockery of Parliament

Responding directly to accusations of "vote theft" raised by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the BJP turned the spotlight back onto the history of the Congress party. Patra pointed out that 31 October marks the birth anniversary of revered freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He alleged that if any real vote theft ever occurred in independent India, it was committed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first member of the Gandhi family. According to Patra, Nehru stole the votes cast by prominent Congress leaders in a ballot box to elect Patel as Prime Minister, thereby becoming an unelected leader.

"No matter how many times you repeat a lie, it will never become the truth," Patra remarked, directly targeting opposition figures Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. He firmly defended the integrity of the Election Commission, rejecting claims that CEC Gyanesh Kumar acted unilaterally or kept the other two Election Commissioners out of key decision-making. Patra highlighted that the CEC and the two Election Commissioners sat together, released a joint photograph, and issued an explicit statement confirming that their decisions were taken unanimously. Furthermore, an official affidavit submitted following a Supreme Court notice clearly affirmed this unanimity.

Ruling party defends voter list cleanup and unanimity

The BJP spokesperson also dismantled opposition allegations regarding electoral roll manipulation and Form 6 amendments. Patra clarified that Form 6 has not been amended at all, noting that a simple declaration form was merely added alongside it, adding that Kharge's tutor had not studied properly. "Only an Indian shall vote; an infiltrator shall not," he declared, emphasising that any legitimate citizen who feels unlisted can complete Form 6 to register.

Defending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, Patra explained that the exercise is designed to clean up electoral rolls across the country rather than disenfranchise genuine voters. He noted that the SIR has been conducted 12 times in India's history, with 10 of those instances occurring under Congress rule. Addressing the 13 crore names currently not included in final rolls across various states, Patra detailed the official "ASDD" classification formula used by Booth Level Officers (BLOs):

• Absent ('A'): BLOs visit households three separate times with enumeration forms, and if a resident is absent on all three visits, they are marked as absent.
• Shifted ('S'): Out of the total, six crore permanently shifted voters have already re-registered or are actively applying via Form 6.
• Deceased ('D'): Over 2.8 crore names of deceased individuals were removed to eradicate illegal "ghost voting".

Patra specifically cited West Bengal, alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee previously used lists of deceased residents to cast fraudulent ghost votes. He maintained that genuine absent voters receive physical forms and official notices at their homes. Those who deliberately ignore these notices despite knowing the procedure are infiltrators trying to bypass legal checks.

INDIA bloc stages theatrical trial at Kharge's residence

The BJP's aggressive rebuttal came in response to a high-decibel "public impeachment" organised earlier in the day by the INDIA opposition alliance. Held at the New Delhi residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the meeting was set up to resemble the Lok Sabha, complete with a wooden-panelled backdrop, semi-circular seating, and microphones in the first three rows. The proceedings were presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and attended by opposition MPs, leaders, civil society members, and citizens alleging wrongful voter deletion. Originally scheduled for Friday, the event was postponed to Saturday due to heavy rain in the capital.

Opening the mock trial, Meira Kumar stated that the public assembly was necessary because the Election Commission showed no accountability regarding the wrongful removal of eligible voters. Moving the impeachment motion, Mallikarjun Kharge accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of treason, alleging that the poll chief was functioning under the direct instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Kharge stated that opposition notices seeking the CEC's removal had been moved in Parliament but were rejected in both Houses. He stressed that the motion aimed to save the dignity of a constitutional body without any personal enmity, warning against wrongful computer deletions from Delhi.

Opposition demands rollback of election laws ahead of Sunday rally

During his address, Kharge paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary. He recalled former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's decision to lower the voting age to 18, accusing the current administration of threatening youth voting rights guaranteed under Article 326. Kharge alleged that the Modi government was using "vote chori" alongside "Sansad chori", "party chori", and electoral bonds to remain in power, claiming that the SIR exercise intentionally deleted 14 crore voters.

Kharge further attacked the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, pointing out that the law was passed after 145 opposition MPs were suspended from Parliament. According to Kharge, the law granted the CEC impunity beyond even that of the President or Prime Minister. Asserting that INDIA bloc MPs represent 60 per cent of India's population, Kharge demanded the CEC's removal, the repeal of the 2023 law, and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. He clarified that the opposition was not seeking voting rights for infiltrators ("ghuspaithiya"), but accused the BJP of protecting infiltrators and called it "the pot calling the kettle black".

The symbolic impeachment marks a major escalation in the opposition's national campaign, setting the stage for a 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally scheduled for Sunday at Ramlila Maidan.