On the eve of polling for Assembly elections in Assam, Puducherry and Kerala, the Opposition decided to amplify its attack against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as they jointly criticised the rejection of notice of motion for his impeachment. They vowed to take other remedies available within the Constitution and law to fix Kumar’s accountability.
Separately, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would move the Supreme Court if valid voters’ names deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are not restored. Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla rejected the notice of motion brought by 300 Opposition MPs from 20 parties and independent parliamentarians to remove CEC Kumar.
Addressing the media on behalf of combined Opposition in the national capital, Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi charged that the Parliament decision undermines Constitutional processes and weakens accountability in a democracy. The rejection at the preliminary stage amounted to “strangulating” the entire impeachment mechanism envisaged in the Constitution.
He did not disclose future course of action, but stated that remedies permissible within the Constitution and law will be exhausted. Meanwhile, the TMC upped the ante following Bengal loosing 12 per cent of electorates since October due to the SIR. However, 27 lakh voters’ deletion from electoral roll is now under adjudication. Over all 91 lakh voters were dropped from the electoral rolls, with most of them being in Muslim-dominated districts of Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas and Malda.
Addressing a rally after filing her nomination from the Bhabanipur constituency, the outgoing CM said that while around 32 lakh names have been restored following court intervention, a large number of cases remain unresolved. She claimed that about 27.6 lakh voters are still under adjudication, and warned that many could be deprived of their franchise if corrective steps are not taken. “Everyone should have the right to vote. If names are not restored, we will go to court again,” she said.
The issue of voter list revision also figured in a tense meeting earlier in the day between a TMC delegation and the full-bench of Election Commission of India, which ended on a bitter note with both sides trading allegations over each other’s conduct.
TMC delegation
The TMC delegation, lead by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and comprising deputy leader Sagarika Ghose, MPs Saket Gokhale and Menaka Guruswamy, said the seven-minute interaction with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar turned acrimonious, alleging that the CEC asked them to “get lost” after they raised concerns and submitted nine letters from Mamata Banerjee. They also highlighted to CEC Gyanesh Kumar alleged irregularities and links between some poll officials and the BJP.
“We asked the CEC how he can ensure the conduct of free and fair elections when such tainted officers are being appointed in Bengal. To this, his answer was Get lost,” O’Brien told reporters after the meeting.
“We told the CEC we would not listen to him because he does not allow his colleagues to speak. We have attended eight to nine meetings like this, where none other than the CEC speaks,” said O’Brien. At the end of the seven-minute meeting, a TMC leader congratulated Gyanesh Kumar on being the first CEC in history to have notices seeking his removal submitted in Parliament, said O’Brien.
Election Commission sources, however, rejected the charge and accused the TMC delegation of “shouting” during the meeting, describing the exchange as “straight talk”. The EC went on to the X with a series of posts, including that it told the TMC that “this time, the elections in West Bengal would surely be: fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free and without any ‘chappa, booth-jamming and source-jamming’ (electoral malpractices)”.
EC sources accused O’Brien of shouting at the election commissioners and said that he asked the CEC not to speak. “The CEC requested Derek O’Brien to maintain decorum in the commission room. Shouting and indecent behaviour are not appropriate,” they said.
Commission sources also stated that as soon as the TMC delegation entered the meeting, the CEC pointed out the absence of their authorised representative, to which O’Brien asked if they were “unauthorised” and should leave. After submitting their memorandum, the TMC leaders told the CEC that they did not want just words, but action on ground.
Published on April 8, 2026