DMK president Stalin demands immediate resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, halt to SIR exercise

DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the wake of media reports alleging that decisions were taken without taking into account the objections of the other two Election Commissioners.He also demanded that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls be halted and that a fair and thorough investigation be conducted into everything that has transpired within the Election Commission, with those responsible being held accountable.The DMK, along with other Opposition parties, has consistently opposed the move to delete crores of voters from the electoral rolls in the name of SIR. Rushed through just months ahead of elections in State after State, the exercise was “riddled with irregularities and sparked widespread unrest,” particularly in West Bengal, Mr. Stalin said in a post on X.Quoting a media report, Mr. Stalin said it has cast serious doubts over the results of every Assembly election held after the SIR exercise. “The investigation reveals that Chief Election Commissioner GyaneshKumar had been acting unilaterally and in secrecy, without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners. Even more alarming is the revelation that Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were kept in the dark about crucial decisions being taken within the very institution they jointly oversee.”He said their objections to decisions being taken without their knowledge were brushed aside on as many as 14 occasions in just ten months. These revelations have severely eroded the credibility of the Election Commission.“The Election Commission is a three-member body whose business must, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously. Where the Commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, the decision must be based on the majority view. If two of its three members were themselves kept unaware of what was being done in the Commission’s name, this cannot be dismissed as a mere internal or procedural matter. It constitutes a grave assault on Indian democracy. The credibility of an apex institution that is expected to function independently, transparently and without political interference has been seriously compromised,” Mr. Stalin said.“The revelations concerning the electoral rolls are equally disturbing. Appeals were filed against the inclusion of voters even after courts had ordered that their names be added to the electoral rolls. Who authorised these appeals? Who filed them? The two Election Commissioners themselves say they were kept in the dark,” he said,Mr. Stalin said the law empowers Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to scrutinise and revise electoral rolls. Yet, they were unable to add even those who had been duly found eligible to vote. ERONet, the digital platform through which these changes had to be made, was entirely under the control of one person.“When such concerns are being raised by two serving Election Commissioners, the extent of political interference that may have taken place within the Election Commission is plain to see,” he said.“As early as March this year, the DMK, along with other Opposition parties, moved an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He has no right to continue in office any longer. Gyanesh Kumar must go immediately,” he added. Published - September 23, 2026 05:57 pm IST