Opposition submits removal notice against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in both Houses

New Delhi: MPs from opposition parties, led by the INDIA bloc, have submitted notices in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, marking what is being described as the first such move against a sitting CEC. 

Reports said the notice was backed by a large number of opposition lawmakers in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

According to reports, around 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs signed the motion, taking the total support to about 193 MPs. 

The move meets the minimum threshold required for initiating such a process — at least 100 MPs in Lok Sabha or 50 MPs in Rajya Sabha must sign a notice for it to be considered by the presiding officer of the respective House. 

The notice has reportedly been submitted in both Houses, with opposition parties alleging “partisan and discriminatory conduct” by the CEC and raising concerns over alleged electoral irregularities. Sources cited in reports said the opposition has listed seven charges against Gyanesh Kumar, including allegations linked to voter roll revisions and what they describe as obstruction in addressing complaints related to electoral fraud. 

The campaign for the notice has largely been spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with backing from multiple INDIA bloc constituents. Reports said the opposition has been accusing the Election Commission leadership of acting in a manner favourable to the ruling BJP, particularly over controversies surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Concerns have especially been raised over the conduct of such exercises in politically sensitive states, including West Bengal. 

Under Indian law, the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner is not a simple political resolution. The CEC can only be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court, meaning the process requires proof of misbehaviour or incapacity and must pass through a high constitutional threshold.

A motion can be introduced in either House of Parliament, but it must eventually 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. 

Reports also noted that if notices are submitted in both Houses on the same day, the matter may require procedural coordination before any inquiry mechanism is triggered. Under the applicable framework, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman, first decide whether to admit the motion.

Only after admission does the next stage of the process move forward. 

Politically, the move is being seen as a major escalation by the opposition in its confrontation with the Election Commission leadership. However, several reports also noted that the opposition does not currently have the numbers required to actually secure the CEC’s removal in Parliament, making the motion significant more as a political and institutional challenge than an immediately executable parliamentary outcome. 

As of now, there has been no formal public response reported from the Election Commission or CEC Gyanesh Kumar on the latest notices moved by the opposition in Parliament. The matter will now depend on whether the notices are admitted by the presiding officers and whether Parliament allows the process to advance beyond the initial procedural stage.