Opposition weighs no-confidence motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Opposition is considering bringing a no-confidence motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after a similar motion against Om Birla, the Lok Sabha Speaker, is disposed of. The notice against Birla is currently pending before the Lower House, two senior Opposition leaders said on Monday.

“Talks have been held with INDIA bloc allies and all parties are on board to bring a no-confidence motion against Kumar over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in various states,” a senior leader of the Indian National Congress said on condition of anonymity.

“It will be done one at a time. We expect the notice against Birla will be taken up on Tuesday,” the leader added.

For such a notice to be considered, signatures of at least 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and at least 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha are required.

Under a 2023 law governing the appointment and functions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, the CEC can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court of India. This means removal is possible only through impeachment in both Houses of Parliament.

A motion seeking removal can be introduced in either House and must be passed by a special majority — a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

During a meeting of Opposition leaders on parliamentary strategy on Monday morning, Shatabdi Ray, chief whip of the All India Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha, reminded leaders that the party wanted a debate on the Special Intensive Revision as a priority.

Kumar and the Opposition have repeatedly clashed over the SIR exercise, which began in Bihar last year and was recently conducted in 12 regions. In September 2025, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Kumar of “protecting vote thieves and destroying democracy.”

Rahul Gandhi also held two press conferences alleging that the Election Commission of India failed to prevent the enrolment of dubious voters in Karnataka and Maharashtra, drawing a sharp response from the poll body.

Opposition parties had also approached the Supreme Court seeking a halt to the SIR, alleging the exercise was biased in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The court, however, allowed the process to continue while conducting extended hearings on its procedures.

Last month, Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, became the first serving chief minister to actively challenge the SIR in the Supreme Court. “We have only one point — everyone must be given the right to vote. We want to ensure voting rights for all… If you think you can capture power by attacking people, intimidating them and removing names from the voters’ list, that will not happen,” she said on Monday.

The Trinamool Congress, which initially distanced itself from the Congress-led Opposition’s move against Birla, later extended support in exchange for backing its effort to seek Kumar’s removal.

However, both resolutions are expected to fail as the ruling National Democratic Alliance has sufficient numbers in both Houses of Parliament to defeat any no-confidence motion.

Responding to the controversy, BJP MP Sambit Patra said the language used against the Election Commission crossed limits. “The way the Election Commission is being abused and the words being used show only one thing — all constitutional institutions have their own limits and boundaries, and one constitutional institution should respect another,” he said.