NEW DELHI: TMC MP Mahua Moitra lodged a police complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the Parliament Street Police Station on Thursday. She accused the Election Commission of “manipulating the voter rolls.”
Moitra asserted that Kumar and the Election Commission’s IT system bypassed local officials responsible for managing electoral rolls. Her claims follow a report from The Indian Express highlighting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to decisions related to the SIR on at least 14 occasions over the span of 10 months.
“I came to the Parliament Street Police Station to file a complaint against Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner of India, who has engaged in criminal behavior. The Election Commission is composed of three Election Commissioners to ensure checks and balances, and majority rules should apply,” Mahua stated. “An investigative report by the Indian Express shows that two out of three Election Commissioners, namely Mr. Joshi and Mr. Sandhu, opposed Mr. Gyanesh Kumar’s actions 14 times in the last 10 months, even dissenting multiple times in a single day.”
“Critical matters, such as the centralization of IT software, were placed entirely in the hands of DG IT Seema Khanna, who utilized this software to circumvent local officials. The local officials, the ERO and the BLO, should control the voter rolls in each Assembly constituency and booth. Instead, Seema Khanna and Gyanesh Kumar allegedly manipulated the voter rolls illegally and bypassed these officials without giving them system access,” she continued.
Moitra further claimed that the Election Commission made unauthorized changes to Form 6, which is used for new voter registration, not adhering to the necessary procedures. “Form 6 is meant for new voter enrollment. However, Gyanesh Kumar unlawfully added a question to Form 6 that asks whether the applicant or their parents or grandparents are linked to the SIR. Mr. Sandhu and Mr. Joshi disagreed with this addition, stating it could only be made through rule changes,” she explained.
“This question went unanswered by both the CEO of West Bengal and the Chief Election Commissioner, which left countless new voters unregistered. Across India, 13 crore voters have been removed, affecting their children’s ability to register when they turn 18. This represents criminal conduct, and they cannot hide behind Section 16 of the CEC and EC Act of 2023,” she added.
After submitting the FIR, Mahua expressed her views on X, posting a copy of the complaint. “Gyanesh Kumar is a rogue agent who acted without the consent of the other two ECs. Disenfranchising legitimate voters is not part of official duties. He cannot claim immunity and must be prosecuted. It’s that simple,” she wrote.
Reports indicate that the two Election Commissioners had objected to modifications in Form 6, asserting that the statutory form cannot be altered without amending the relevant rules. Sandhu subsequently described the changes as “unauthorized and illegal” and demanded their immediate retraction.
The Election Commission has stated that written notes, observations, and internal verifications are typical aspects of institutional discussions. It also emphasized that its official orders and decisions are legally sound and that the final decisions regarding the SIR were made unanimously.
Concerns have been raised over voter registration and deletions, alterations to Form 6, and centralized control of the electoral roll database. The two commissioners have also expressed worries about statutory officials’ access to the electoral roll database.
These reported disagreements have prompted opposition parties to call for action against Kumar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP, RSS, and the Election Commission of committing “treason” through what he termed “vote theft.” “Vote theft is a crime against the Indian people and a direct assault on our Constitution. Justice will prevail,” Rahul stated.
Mamata Banerjee also alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission “looted” the West Bengal Assembly elections and demanded new elections based on the voter list that existed before the SIR.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra defended the Election Commission, asserting that the differences and discussions among commissioners reflect “pure democracy” and are part of institutional deliberations.
