India’s main opposition Congress party takes to streets seeking election chief’s exit

India’s main opposition Congress party staged protests in many parts of the country on Sept 25 to demand the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, escalating a controversy triggered by a media report about the handling of voter rolls.Congress workers held demonstrations in several cities, according to the party’s posts on X.The local media reported police using tear gas to disperse protesters in the north-eastern state of Manipur after demonstrators scuffled with police, while the Congress posted footage showing water cannon being used in Patna, the capital of eastern Bihar state.The uproar was triggered by an Indian Express investigation earlier this week that found two of the Election Commission’s three members repeatedly objected to decisions linked to an overhaul of voter rolls that has removed millions of names from draft lists.The duo said some decisions and orders were issued without their knowledge and raised concerns about the addition and deletion of voters and changes to registration procedures, the newspaper reported. The polls body has rejected suggestions of a rift.Other opposition parties and activists have also called for Kumar’s removal, accusing him of sidelining the commission’s two other members.The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led movement that spearheaded major student protests earlier in 2026, said on Sept 25 it would launch nationwide demonstrations from Mumbai on Oct 2 if he does not step down by Sept 26. The group had given the election chief 48 hours to resign a day earlier.The CJP’s earlier agitation over exam irregularities culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the first Cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12 years in power to step down amid public pressure. BLOOMBERG