Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Pinarayi Vijayan Demands CEC Removal, Halt to Electoral Roll Revision
Pinarayi Vijayan asked for the head of India’s Election Commission to be removed.
He also asked officials to stop a review of voter lists called SIR.
Vijayan was concerned that some people may have been wrongly removed from the lists.
His comments followed a report about objections raised by two Election Commissioners.
The report said the objections involved voter registration, deleting names and SIR procedures.
The Election Commission said these disagreements are normal checks inside a multi-member body.
It also said all final decisions about SIR were unanimous.
The dispute is now part of a larger political argument about how voter lists are managed.
Pinarayi Vijayan demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to SIR.
Vijayan cited reported objections by two Election Commissioners over voter registration, name deletions and SIR procedures.
An Indian Express report said Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months.
The Election Commission rejected claims that the objections showed institutional breakdown or dissent within the poll panel.
The ECI said differing views are normal and that SIR-related decisions were taken unanimously.
- Who
- Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, two Election Commissioners, and the Election Commission of India.
- What
- Vijayan demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, an immediate halt to SIR, and restoration of voting rights for people wrongly excluded.
- When
- On Friday, amid an escalating political dispute over SIR.
- Where
- Vijayan made the demand in a post on X; the report concerns the Election Commission of India.
- Why
- He cited reported objections by two Election Commissioners regarding voter registration, name deletions, database changes and SIR procedures.
Criticism and Reform Demands
Election Commission Defense
Meaning of internal objections
Criticism and Reform Demands
Pinarayi Vijayan said the reported objections raised serious questions about the Election Commission’s functioning and demanded the CEC’s removal.
Election Commission Defense
The ECI said differing views, observations and internal checks are normal in a multi-member constitutional body and do not indicate institutional breakdown.
Special Intensive Revision
Criticism and Reform Demands
Vijayan demanded that SIR be halted and that voting rights be restored to people wrongfully excluded.
Election Commission Defense
The ECI maintained that final decisions related to SIR were taken unanimously.
Election administration
Criticism and Reform Demands
Vijayan argued that voting rights must not be manipulated for the political interests of the BJP and Sangh Parivar.
Election Commission Defense
The ECI defended its ECINet platform, saying statutory functions are carried out by designated officials through secure credentials under the Representation of the People Acts.
- Demand
- Removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- Requested action
- Immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
- Additional demand
- Restore voting rights to people wrongly excluded from voter lists
- Reported objections
- Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months
- Election Commission position
- Differing views and internal checks are normal in a multi-member constitutional body
- Decision on SIR
- The ECI said final decisions, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous
- System defended
- The ECI defended its ECINet platform as a decentralised system operating under the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951