Full Breakdown
Protests and Legal Battles Over India’s Election Commission Chief Amid the SIR Controversy
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Opposition parties, student groups and civil-society organisations have staged protests in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Lucknow and other cities demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the repeal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court is hearing two public-interest litigations that seek to suspend Kumar and to declare SIR decisions taken without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners as ultra-vires.
Background & Context
The SIR, launched in June 2025, is a nationwide exercise to update voter lists. *The Indian Express* reported that Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the past 10 months, alleging that certain decisions—including changes to voter-registration Form 6—were taken without their knowledge. The Election Commission (EC) says differing views are part of normal deliberations and that all orders carry full legal sanction.
Official Statements & Responses
- The EC maintains that SIR decisions were taken “unanimously” and that any “operational queries” raised by commissioners are part of the standard process.
- Chief Justice Surya Kant, presiding over the Supreme Court hearing, said the court will first examine whether any EC decision was made without the required unanimity before considering interim relief.
- BJP Telangana state president N Ramchander Rao defended the SIR as a legitimate field-inquiry exercise.
Criticism & Opposition
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded Kumar’s resignation, annulment of SIR and a shift to ballot-paper voting.
- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the CEC of acting as a “puppet of the BJP” and warned that “when democracy itself does not survive, what is the point of elections?”
On-the-Ground Reports
- In Delhi, AISA-backed marches on Oct 4, 2026 were met with barricades; protesters reported being dragged into buses and a leader lifted upside-down.
- Hyderabad demonstrators gathered at Dharna Chowk on Oct 3, chanting a Hindi version of “Bella Ciao” and demanding Kumar’s resignation.
- Mumbai’s “Garjana Morcha” on Oct 4 saw Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray lead a rally at Shivaji Park, chanting against “vote theft.”
- In Lucknow, activists assembled at Parivartan Chowk on Oct 2; participants alleged women were dragged and journalists faced harassment.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Opposition groups cite 13 crore deletions, while EC data released after the Sept 26 press note indicates a net reduction of 6 crore voters in the states where final rolls are out, a discrepancy not independently reconciled.
- The EC asserts all SIR decisions were unanimous; petitioners point to the 14 recorded objections as evidence of unilateral action, but the EC has not released the underlying minutes.
What’s Next
- The Supreme Court will issue its judgment after receiving responses from the EC and the Union government; the bench may revisit any decision found to lack unanimity.
- The INDIA bloc plans a march to the EC headquarters on Oct 6, 2025 and a larger rally in Delhi on Nov 1.
- Opposition leaders intend to meet President Droupadi Murmu after Oct 15, 2025 to submit a memorandum demanding Kumar’s removal.