KPCC demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. There is a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Saturday, September 26 for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
The Congress have been raising the issue of the revision process and have questioned the conduct of the Election Commission.
Several senior Karnataka Congress leaders participated in the protest, including Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Chief Minister Veerappa Moily and KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad.
The Congress workers and supporters gathered at Freedom Park, with placards and slogans in place as the party intensified its criticism of the Election Commission.
The resignation demand is Congress’ position and it is part of a wider political dispute over the SIR process. Congress leaders have said decisions regarding the electoral-roll revision have not been properly consulted and have been critical of claims of differences within the Election Commission. These are the charges that have been rejected in the larger debate over the functioning of the poll panel.
KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad had announced the Bengaluru protest before the demonstration. He said that the Election Commission took unilateral decisions during the SIR process despite objections from the other Election Commissioners.
According to the report, Hariprasad spoke about the alleged disputes between Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi and claimed that objections were raised on multiple occasions.
The controversy is around the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls that has caused political debate in Karnataka and other parts of India. Congress has argued that such a process should be more transparent and has questioned the way voter information is being reviewed. The party has also called for action against the CEC as part of its campaign on the issue.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had earlier on Friday demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and called for electoral roll revision in the state again. His demand came after reports of disagreement in the Election Commission on some of the decisions and procedures related to electoral rolls.
Siddaramaiah also criticized the Election Commission's functioning at Freedom Park. He said the constitutional body should conduct elections independently, impartially and transparently and requested intervention. His remarks were in the context of the Congress’s protest against the CEC.
The Congress protest in Bengaluru is part of a larger political campaign over the SIR exercise. The party has held protests or demonstrations in different parts of the country and focuses on accountability from the Election Commission and the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar as the main demands. The KPCC in Karnataka also said protests could be extended to district headquarters.
On September 25, official figures reported that most of the notices issued as part of Karnataka’s SIR process had been delivered. According to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, 41,63,368 of the 43,82,296 notices generated had reached electors and 2,18,928 remained undelivered.
These figures are connected to the administration of the revision process and do not by themselves prove the political charges from either side.
The political dispute has also extended beyond Bengaluru. Congress workers in Mysuru also held a protest on September 25 in which they asked for the resignation of the CEC as well as the electoral roll decisions. And the demonstrations are indicative of the growing political interest in Karnataka's SIR process.
The Election Commission is a constitutional authority that is responsible for elections in India and the issue has centred around its decision-making and the electoral roll revision process. Congress leaders have continued to press their accusations and demands and the larger problem remains politically polarizing.
As the SIR exercise continues in Karnataka, the issue will be a major political talking point. The Freedom Park protest brought Congress leaders together and also marked another escalation in the party’s campaign to hold the Election Commission accountable and replace CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Moreover, political parties and election authorities will be able to respond to the competing claims of the electoral roll revision.
