A delegation of former senior civil servants and prominent social activists on Monday moved a comprehensive chargesheet and “People’s Notice of Impeachment” against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of “proved misbehaviour” under Article 324(5) of the Constitution.
Demanding his immediate resignation, the group alleged that the CEC has engaged in a “sustained pattern of wilful disregard of law and constitutional duty” that has damaged the credibility and independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The move was accompanied by police barricading on routes leading to the ECI headquarters in New Delhi ahead of the submission.
The 6 Key Charges Outlined Against the CEC
The notice lists six major allegations detailing constitutional and administrative violations:
- Undermining Collective Functioning: The delegation accused Kumar of bypassing full commission consultations and making unilateral decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) without recorded proceedings or proper agendas.
- Unauthorised Changes to Form 6: Allegations state that modified electoral inclusion forms were used illegally, forcing previously registered voters to declare they were seeking inclusion for the first time.
- Unlawful Use of ECINET: The deployment of the ECINET system reportedly bypassed the statutory authority of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) tasked with roll corrections.
- Mass Disenfranchisement: The SIR exercise reportedly led to the deletion of over 13.3 crore names, with projected voter gaps reaching 15 crore—disproportionately impacting women, migrants, minorities, and the elderly.
- Conduct Affecting Impartiality: The notice accused the CEC of engaging in political partisanship and combative rhetoric, stating he could “no longer be a referee in a game where you are widely perceived to be aligned with a player.”
- Breach of Statutory Duty: Citing Section 32(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the chargesheet cited a wilful failure to address known violations and the concealment of official records.
Key Signatories to the Notice
The notice was signed by notable former public servants and public figures, including former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, former Secretary Amitabha Pandey, former Central Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad, and activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Aishe Ghosh, and Yogendra Yadav.
While the chargesheet reflects a formal public demand for accountability, the allegations contained in the notice do not by themselves constitute a parliamentary impeachment proceeding.
