Resign Within 48 Hours or Face Nationwide Agitation: ‘Cockroach’ Party Warns

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must resign within 48 hours, or the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP) will launch a nationwide agitation, party leaders Abhijit Dipak, Ashutosh Ranka and Sourav Das said at a press conference in Delhi yesterday. They also described Gyanesh as the “biggest traitor” and urged opposition parties to consider not participating in elections until complaints over the voter list are resolved.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded the arrest of the Chief Election Commissioner, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has warned the Election Commission of consequences. Meanwhile, Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra filed an FIR against Gyanesh Kumar at the Parliament Street police station in Delhi yesterday.

Besides demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the CJP has made three other demands: filing a criminal case against him; restoring the voter list that existed before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR); and repealing the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.

The Trinamool Congress has alleged that people are being harassed and labelled as Bangladeshis simply for speaking Bengali. The BJP has rejected the allegations, saying the measures are aimed at preventing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The RSS, however, does not agree with the BJP on the issue, and its top leadership is reportedly deeply dissatisfied over the repeated incidents.

The ‘Cockroach’ party leaders alleged that Gyanesh Kumar was deleting the names of eligible voters from the electoral rolls to protect the BJP’s interests. They also accused the Election Commission of acting to corner opposition parties. Mr. Dipak said, “CEC Gyanesh Kumar is the architect behind the BJP’s electoral successes. After his appointment, the BJP’s vote share increased in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Assam and other states.”

Mamata Demands Gyanesh’s Arrest

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for the arrest of the Chief Election Commissioner. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has also warned the Election Commission of consequences. Targeting the poll panel over alleged “vote theft,” Mr. Rahul Gandhi wrote on X on Wednesday, “Vote theft is a crime against the people of India and a direct attack on our Constitution. The BJP, RSS and Election Commission which organised it have committed an act of treason. They will be held accountable.”

Calling on all political parties in the country to launch a movement demanding the Chief Election Commissioner’s arrest, Mamata Banerjee said, “If you take to the streets, I will stand with you. Let them beat me, arrest me or torture me. I am not afraid of any of this.”

Responding to the allegations by opposition parties, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, BJP MP Sambit Patra said, “After suffering successive electoral defeats since 2014, they are now targeting the Election Commission. Having failed to win the people’s confidence, the opposition is now attacking constitutional institutions.”

Ms Mahua Files FIR Against Mr Gyanesh

Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra filed an FIR against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the Parliament Street police station in Delhi yesterday. Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Brajesh Singh has written to Attorney General R. Venkataramani seeking contempt proceedings against Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Supreme Court’s directions were violated.

National politics was stirred on Wednesday following an investigative report by The Indian Express. According to the report, the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had objected to 14 decisions taken by the Election Commission over the past 10 months. They allegedly claimed that Gyanesh Kumar was taking decisions at his discretion without keeping them informed. The report has raised questions about the Election Commission’s role amid the controversy over the SIR, with opposition parties also demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Mahua Moitra said the FIR was filed alleging that Gyanesh Kumar had acted unlawfully. She said, “During the SIR, Form 6 was used to seek information on whether the parents or grandparents of a new voter had been included in the voter list during the previous SIR. This cannot be done without changing the rules. Yet it was done. Secondly, who appealed against the 1.610 million names included in West Bengal’s SIR by judicial officers? Thirdly, Gyanesh Kumar, along with the Commission’s Director General (IT), Seema Khanna, arbitrarily altered the voter list. They did so by denying access to BLOs and EROs.”

Sources: The Times of India and NDTV