Congress Protests Election Chief

Congress Protests Nationwide Against Election Chief Over Controversial Voter Roll Revisions

Congress held protests across multiple Indian states against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of manipulating voter rolls through the Special Intensive Revision process and demanding Kumar’s resignation, arrest or dismissal, as well as an independent inquiry. Demonstrators marched to government offices, submitted petitions and burned effigies; confrontations with police included scuffles and barricade breaches, and tear gas and water cannons were used in some locations. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders described the campaign as a defense of voters’ rights and electoral fairness, and some called for elections held after the voter-roll revision to be redone. The Election Commission and BJP denied accusations of collusion and vote manipulation; a separate allegation about a purported past political suggestion by Kumar remained unverified, and Kumar had not publicly responded. The youth-led “Cockroach” movement had threatened nationwide protests on October 2 if Kumar did not resign by its deadline.

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