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Jharkhand Congress Protests, Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
Congress workers protested in Jharkhand against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
They said the Election Commission was not treating all political parties fairly.
The protesters claimed that some eligible voters could be removed from voter lists.
They also alleged that the BJP received an unfair advantage in some elections.
In Ranchi, workers marched to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
Similar protests took place in several other districts.
Congress leaders gave officials a written memorandum.
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said the concerns would be taken seriously.
The protests came after a report about disagreements among election commissioners over some decisions.
Congress workers marched to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Ranchi and held demonstrations at district headquarters across Jharkhand.
Protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and burned effigies of Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Jharkhand Congress leaders accused the Election Commission of favoring the BJP and enabling alleged vote theft through the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
A delegation met Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar and submitted a memorandum urging that no eligible voter be removed from electoral rolls.
The protests followed a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times to decisions allegedly issued without their knowledge.
- Who
- Jharkhand Congress workers and leaders, including Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Rajesh Thakur and Bandhu Tirkey, protested against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- They demanded Kumar’s resignation and urged election officials to protect eligible voters from removal from electoral rolls.
- Where
- The main march took place near the Old Assembly premises and the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Dhurwa, Ranchi; demonstrations were also held in other Jharkhand districts.
- When
- The protests took place on September 28, according to the report.
- Why
- Congress alleged that the Election Commission favored the BJP and enabled alleged vote theft through the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Congress allegations
Election officials’ response
Election Commission impartiality
Congress allegations
Congress leaders alleged that Gyanesh Kumar was acting as a BJP agent, damaging democracy and giving the BJP an unfair electoral advantage.
Election officials’ response
The article does not report a direct response from Gyanesh Kumar or the Election Commission to these allegations.
Voter-roll revisions
Congress allegations
Congress warned that eligible voters could be removed from electoral rolls through the SIR exercise and demanded safeguards.
Election officials’ response
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar assured the visiting delegation that its concerns were being taken seriously and that complaints should not arise.
Internal election-commission decisions
Congress allegations
Congress cited a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected repeatedly to decisions allegedly issued without their knowledge.
Election officials’ response
The report describes the commissioners’ recorded objections but does not provide a further explanation from the Election Commission.
Key facts
- Main demand
- The immediate resignation or dismissal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- Main protest site
- Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Dhurwa, Ranchi.
- Other protest locations
- Bokaro, Hazaribag, Latehar, Chatra and Palamu, among other district headquarters.
- Memorandum recipient
- Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar; a separate memorandum was addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through a deputy commissioner in Palamu.
- Congress allegation
- The Election Commission gave the BJP an unfair advantage and was removing or threatening to remove eligible voters.
- Election exercise mentioned
- The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls.
- Reported disagreement
- The Indian Express reported that Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions allegedly issued without their knowledge.
Quotes
Keshav Mahto Kamlesh
Jharkhand Congress president
“We met the CEO, K Ravi Kumar, and clearly stated in unequivocal terms that you should not work as an agent of a particular party like Kumar. We also raised issues of Jharkhand and asked him to ensure no eligible voters in the state should be removed from the voter list”
theprint.in
“It’s not about one murder; it’s about the murder of 140 crore people. The murder of democracy is happening. In such a situation, we will not sit silently; our leader Rahul Gandhi had already said CEC is stealing votes, and his two election commissioners have proved it”
theprint.in
Sources
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