Just the Beginning, Congress Turns Up the Heat, Demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar Exit

The Congress on Friday staged protests across several state capitals, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations followed a report by The Indian Express claiming that two election commissioners had objected on record 14 times over a 10 month period to decision related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll. Protests were reported in Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bhopal, Patna, Guwahati and other state capitals. Congress leader and workers sought to draw attention to their concern over the functioning of the Election Commission and the handling of SIR related decisions. The demonstration also led to the detention of several Congress leaders. Among those detained were Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi in Guwahati and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in Lucknow. In Lucknow, tensions escalated after Congress worker attempted to march towards the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer office in Hazratganj. Police stopped the protesters, leading to clashes, with reports of police using force to disperse the gathering. The protest come amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commission and the electoral roll revision exercise. Congress has used the reported objections by the two election commissioners to strengthen its demand for action against the CEC, while the political implication and interpretation of those objections remain subjects of debate. For Congress, Friday demonstrations were presented as the start of a broader campaign rather than a one day protest. The party demand for Gyanesh Kumar resignation therefore continues to place the Election Commission at the centre of an intensifying political confrontation.