New Delhi: Opposition parties on Wednesday (September 23) demanded immediate impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar after an expose by Ritika Chopra for The Indian Express claimed that two of the three Election Commissioners – Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi – who formally recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months, said they were not included in major decisions made in the name of the full Election Commission, calling the decisions “unauthorised and illegal”.The opposition parties have heavily criticised the actions and also asked the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the Express report, published on Wednesday (September 23). The report stated that on various instances, Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi asked questions to the very institution they head, seemingly unaware about crucial information related to the Special Investigation Revision (SIR) process which has left millions of citizens out of the electoral roll.This included Joshi’s official warning that Form 6 could not be changed in a manner to make it mandatory for new voters to answer their parents/ grandparents “exist” in the “electoral roll of last SIR.” This was followed by Sandhu putting on record on August 13 that it was “unauthorised and illegal” and “must be removed immediately”. However, the question continues to be a part of Form 6.The two commissioners have repeatedly questioned whether EROs’ access to the constituency-wise voters’ list was being restricted. They also raised questions regarding the ERONet portal – the digital system through which the electoral rolls are maintained. Sandhu recorded that state-level election officials were reporting that they do not have proper and complete access to the portal. The defence the Election Commission has relied on for decades, the two ECs reportedly said, was being dismantled from inside its own IT division.Also read: Who is Gyanesh Kumar, the One-Man Election Commission Acting in Violation of Article 324?Meanwhile, ECI sources as quoted by The Hindu responded to the allegations saying “all decisions of the Election Commission of India, including SIR, have been unanimous and with the approval of both the Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner”.Former chief election commissioner O.P. Rawat has described the reported revelations as “very serious” and “unfortunate”, particularly pointing to the changes to statutory voter-registration Form 6, saying they were “absolutely wrong and illegal”.“This is an unfortunate situation. Such a thing has perhaps rarely happened in the Election Commission. I have also been there, but I saw that decisions were always taken unanimously,” he told PTI.He also said that the SIR had created a “kind of Frankenstein” and stressed that software used for maintaining electoral rolls should not supersede decisions taken by officials. “Through SIR (Special Intensive Revision), it has created a kind of Frankenstein which has created fear in the minds of voters everywhere. This is not good. It is very unfortunate for our democracy,” he said.‘Clear that Gyanesh Kumar was chief architect of vote chori’Sharing the report in a post on X, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said that following the expose, CEC Gyanesh Kumar has no right to remain in office because he had been exposed.“How the hell can one man, acting on His Master’s orders, strike off names at whim? How can he sideline fellow Constitutional officers to only take blatantly illegal steps that put our democracy in danger? The right to vote is an essential Constitutional power given to every citizen, the fundamental bedrock of our democracy. If it is to be taken away, due process must be followed with utmost probity. “Today, when we are staring at crores of genuine voters being excluded and a similar number of bogus voters being added to the rolls, it is clear that Gyanesh Kumar was the Chief Architect of the nationwide Vote Chori exercise, with the Modi top brass pulling the strings. We demand Gyanesh Kumar’s immediate removal and a Supreme Court-monitored impartial investigation to expose the rot that has destroyed the ECI’s credibility.If Gyanesh Kumar remains in office, the people of India will come forward and make sure that our democracy is not destroyed by a mere bureaucrat,” he said.Questions over EC selection committeeCongress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh has called Kumar “an absolute disgrace” to his constitutional post, and that he has “functioned as a hatchet man for the Union Home Minister who, in turn, is the designated executor of the PM’s wishes”.“The CEC has proved to be an absolute disgrace to the Constitutional post he holds. His integrity of purpose, impartiality of intent and independence of action have always been extremely dubious. 73 Opposition MPs had moved an impeachment motion against him on April 24, 2026. That is still pending. Meanwhile, today he stands brutally exposed by his own two colleagues. And undoubtedly, Opposition MPs in both Houses now will be moving impeachment motions if there is a special session, since the Monsoon Session has not been prorogued for an unprecedented 43 days.“Mr. Gyanesh Kumar has functioned as a hatchet man for the Union Home Minister who, in turn, is the designated executor of the PM’s wishes. What the CEC has been doing is with the full knowledge, support and, in fact, at the instigation of the PM and HM themselves. #Gyaneshgate has been orchestrated by G2. Of that there can be no doubt. The CEC has lost all administrative and moral right to continue in office,” he wrote in a long post on X.He also highlighted the Supreme Court’s split verdict today (September 23) in which one of the judges highlighted the degree of central government control over the selection committee to appoint election commissioners, which currently comprises the prime minister, a Union minister and the leader of the opposition, as legislated in 2023.“Justice Datta has, through pointed and straightforward questions, highlighted the degree of central government control over the committee. He has rightly asked, can a PM’s nominee go against the PM? The validity of the selection committee will now be examined by a larger bench, but Justice Datta’s judgment confirms that the CEC must be free from the government’s control if it is to be effective,” he noted.“The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) raised the issue of Vote Chori over fifteen months ago. He stands vindicated more than ever before,” Ramesh said.The CEC has proved to be an absolute disgrace to the Constitutional post he holds. His integrity of purpose, impartiality of intent and independence of action have always been extremely dubious. 73 Opposition MPs had moved an impeachment motion against him on April 24, 2026. That…— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 23, 2026Meanwhile, the top court has referred the petitions challenging the 2023 law governing the CEC and ECs appointment process to a larger bench.‘Planted and protected’Pawan Khera, Congress media head, alleged that Gyanesh Kumar was being “planted and protected” by the BJP to hollow out the Election Commission from within.“It was already known that things were not exactly well within the ECI. But just how messy, dysfunctional and, frankly, disturbing things had become is laid bare by this brilliant exposé by @IndianExpress.“Think about what that means – Gyanesh Kumar Gupta exercises extraordinary control over an institution that the Election Commissioners are supposed to run collectively. In the process, he has single-handedly presided over the destruction of the integrity of India’s electoral process at the BJP’s behest. Gupta has to be the single most sold-out bureaucrat of the Modi era who has disenfranchised crores of Indians, and he must face the law,” he said on X.Gyanesh Kumar Gupta is planted and being protected by the BJP to hollow out the Election Commission of India from within.It was already known that things were not exactly well within the ECI. But just how messy, dysfunctional and, frankly, disturbing things had become is laid… https://t.co/Kb0vMARwue— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) September 23, 2026‘Fatal and dangerous circumstances for democracy’Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that this directly means that all Election Commissioners were not able to perform their rightful duties.“This is an extremely serious news that in the past 10 months, 2 Election Commissioners have registered their objections 14 times against the Election Commission’s wrong decisions.This directly means that all Election Commissioners are not able to perform their rightful duties. If the members of an independent body do not have the freedom to carry out just actions or if there is no hearing of theirs, then these are extremely fatal and dangerous circumstances for democracy. For some people to betray democracy by becoming puppets of those in power is a grave constitutional crime. This is nothing less than a conspiracy to wipe out democracy,” he wrote, urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance.ये एक बेहद गंभीर समाचार है कि पिछले 10 महीनों में 2 चुनाव आयुक्तों ने निर्वाचन आयोग के गलत निर्णयों पर 14 बार अपनी आपत्ति दर्ज़ कराई है।इसका सीधा मतलब ये है कि सभी चुनाव आयुक्त अपना सही काम नहीं कर पा रहे हैं। एक स्वतंत्र निकाय के सदस्यों को अगर न्यायपूर्ण कार्य करने की… pic.twitter.com/UoQnYWsWd8— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 23, 2026‘One-man autocracy’The Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s John Brittas has alleged the Election Commission had become “a one-man autocracy under CEC Gyanesh Kumar”, terming it an “open subversion of the EC and our democracy too”.“Parliament must immediately start the process for the removal of the CEC. We had in fact submitted a notice for removal on 24 th April ,2026 as per the constitutional stipulations – solid grounds and around 70 members signing( 50 in the stipulated number).The Constitution provides this power for precisely such moments of institutional capture and subversion.This is no longer an Election Commission. It is a one-man autocracy under CEC Gyanesh Kumar!!Two Election Commissioners have formally objected 14 times in 10 months. They branded the addition of new voters and mass deletion “unauthorised and illegal.”Thy recorded objections to… pic.twitter.com/NVZ6KRw8LS— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) September 23, 2026“The Supreme Court must annul the entire SIR process without delay. When two of the three Commissioners put on record that the exercise is illegal and destructive of the electoral roll’s integrity, judicial silence becomes complicity. What Gyanesh Kumar is doing is the death knell of a democratic nation,” Brittas said, demanding the CEC’s removal. “Strike down the SIR. Or accept that free and fair elections in India are already being buried,” he added.Brittas has also written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking constitutional intervention regarding the Election Commission, electoral rolls and the SIR.Raising concerns over the election commission’s functioning, he has urged that the pending proceedings for removal of the CEC proceed without obstruction, and that the Union government take a clear stand before the Supreme Court seeking annulment of the SIR wherever it is found unlawful.I have written to the Hon’ble President seeking urgent constitutional intervention on the disturbing developments concerning the Election Commission and the SIR.Two of the three Election Commissioners have reportedly objected, at least fourteen times over last ten months, to… pic.twitter.com/nU2EDqWzDr— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) September 23, 2026The CPI(M) Polit Bureau has also released a statement demanding the immediate reformation of the election commission. “The explosive revelations in the Indian Express (September 23) surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls raise serious questions not just about the process, but more importantly about the integrity of the Election Commission of India (ECI) itself,” the statement read.“The issues raised by the two Election Commissioners go beyond the SIR process. It concerns the institutional integrity and democratic functioning of the Election Commission, transparency in the electoral process, over centralisation and the protection of the right to universal adult franchise. The credibility of the Election Commission as an unbiased institution is at stake. People have lost confidence in a compromised Election Commission, for which CEC Gyanesh Kumar should be held accountable. He cannot continue in office any longer,” it added.The Polit Bureau has also demanded an immediate halt to the SIR process until the integrity and democratic functioning of the ECI is restored.‘Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested’Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal has demanded that CEC Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested and prosecuted, and that all the elections held under his approval should be cancelled and held again.“We demand that Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested and prosecuted. All the elections held in the last few years – Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Bengal, Haryana, MP and Chhattisgarh – should be cancelled and held again. The Election Commission is not the name of one individual. It comprises three members… one Chief Election Commissioner and two election commissioners. All three participate in meetings, where decisions are taken either unanimously or by majority. None of the three has the authority to take decisions individually. No single person can run the Election Commission or issue orders to its officers. The Chief Election Commissioner is described in English as ‘First Among Equals.’ All three are equal… the Chief Election Commissioner only chairs and presides over the meetings and does not have any additional authority,” he said, addressing a press conference in Delhi.Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha MP of the Mamata Trinamool Congress, said that five months ago, more than 60 Rajya Sabha MPs wrote to the RS chairman moving motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar (The required majority mark is 50).“After big news break today that two Election Commissioners objected to many of CEC’s actions, it’s time to bring out the RS Motion today. Impeach CEC to save democracy,” he said, sharing the letter on X.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that there should be re-elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu using ballot papers. Meanwhile, party MP Sanjay Raut, speaking to ANI, said that a legal action should be taken against the CEC, while also demanding the removal of “criminal” Amit Shah from the cabinet.“Gyanesh Kumar should be suspended, and legal action should be taken against him. In this country, elections have become a farce. ECI comes under the Home Ministry. The number one criminal is Amit Shah. If the PM wants to save the nation, he should remove Amit Shah from the Cabinet. If Modi ji doesn’t take action, then I will urge the President, who is the chief of all three security forces, to remove Gyanesh Kumar. If the President also takes no action, then the Army Chief should come forward to save the country from such ‘hukumshahon‘,” he said.