CEC impeachment motion rejected: What can opposition do next?

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha president CP Radhakrishnan connected Monday rejected the opposition's impeachment question against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.It was the archetypal clip a announcement seeking the removal of the Election Commission main was issued with the signature of 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha members.The 10-page impeachment question accused Gyanesh Kumar of 7 counts. The charges ranged from partisan behaviour of the CEC to wide disenfranchisement of voters successful antithetic states. This comes aft the canvass assemblage faced absorption implicit the pan-India purification of the electoral rotation -- Special Intensive Revision (SIR).The absorption had besides raised the contented of the mode the CEC handled SIR successful erstwhile elections, similar Bihar and forthcoming elections successful states similar West Bengal; his "proved misbehaviour"; his partial behaviour towards a governmental enactment are besides issues that find a notation successful the notice.The announcement for the removal of the CEC, piloted by TMC, came aft increasing accusations from absorption parties against Gyanesh Kumar.They accused the CEC of bias and carrying retired the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) workout successful an arbitrary mode successful a bid to assistance the BJP. West Bengal main curate Mamata Banerjee has been starring protests implicit the SIR process successful her state. Other absorption parties, too, person been attacking the CEC, with Rahul Gandhi steering the “vote chori” campaign.

'Told you so'After the question got rejected, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took a swipe astatine vice-president Radhakrishnan, reminding him of his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar's episode, wherever helium resigned hours aft accepting a question seeking the removal of justness Yashwant Varma."We cognize what happened to the past Chairman of the Rajya Sabha who accepted a petition moved by Opposition MPs," Jairam Ramesh, successful a societal media post, said.TMC MP Derek O'Brien besides attacked the centre and accused it of "mocking" the Parliamentary system."Ah! Told you so," helium said successful a societal media station connected X."Notice to region CEC Vanish Kumar by Rajya Sabha MPs rejected. Reason? NO REASON GIVEN. BJP support mocking our large Parliament. SHAME," helium added.

What tin absorption bash next?

After the rejection of the motion, the absorption has options, though limited.The removal process follows the process laid down successful the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

The absorption tin refile the question successful the Lok Sabha. The process volition restart with the Speaker's admittance decision, arsenic motions originate independently successful either House.Additionally, the absorption tin besides see moving the Supreme Court. It tin physique "moral pressure" connected CEC Gyanesh Kumar that helium would measurement speech from his station if an petition was moved against him successful the apex court.In 2018, Congress had challenged the rejection of past CJI Dipak Misra's impeachment by past Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu.Congress person and elder lawyer Kapil Sibal, who was besides a signatory to the impeachment notice, raised the lawsuit for urgent listing earlier a bench.