LDF to Hold Protests on September 29 Seeking Removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over Allegations

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF will hold protest at district centres across Keralam on September 29, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom it has accused of functioning as a BJP agent.

Left parties have called for nationwide protests from September 27, the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, to October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and an investigation into serious irregularities committed during his tenure as Chief Election Commissioner. The protests in Keralam will be held under the leadership of the LDF as part of the nationwide agitation. The CPI(M) state secretariat has urged people to make the protests a success.

The CPI(M) state secretariat alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner, who is expected to intervene to ensure voting rights for all citizens, has instead become a supporter of the Sangh Parivar. It said that under the electoral procedure followed until 2002-03, a voter did not have to submit a separate application to have their name included in the electoral roll. The Chief Election Commissioner unilaterally changed this procedure, making it mandatory to submit one of 11 identity documents along with the prescribed application form. The commission was also unwilling to provide sufficient time to submit the documents.

The CPI(M) said political parties were previously consulted and consensus was reached before such changes were introduced. It alleged that the latest move, which overturned this practice, resulted in the deletion of 13.37 crore voters from the electoral rolls. It further alleged that 65 lakh people were removed from the electoral rolls in Bihar, creating conditions for the BJP to win in the state.

The fellow Election Commissioners had recorded their disagreement with the actions of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar 14 times in writing over a period of 10 months.

However, Gyanesh Kumar was not willing to heed these objections, the party alleged. It further alleged that he introduced a new centralised system for preparing electoral rolls under the Election Commission's IT head without informing the other commission members. The party also alleged that a new IT head chosen by CEC was appointed and instructed to report directly to him.

According to the CPI(M) state secretariat, this undermined the existing decentralised system of adding voters to the electoral rolls. It alleged that the new system enabled electoral rolls to be prepared centrally without any auditing and allowed names to be added or removed without the knowledge of officials at the grassroots level.

The CPI(M) state secretariat alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner and his associates were preparing electoral rolls in accordance with the BJP's interests to ensure its victory. It said Gyanesh Kumar had no right to continue in office after allegedly undermining citizens' democratic rights and the country's democratic structure.