'Proved misbehaviour': Oppn moves to impeach poll chief; 193 MPs sign notice

NEW DELHI: The absorption connected Friday submitted notices successful some the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging “partial conduct” successful favour of a peculiar governmental enactment and citing six different charges.According to sources, the charges besides subordinate to his handling of the electoral rotation revision, archetypal successful Bihar up of the assembly elections held successful November 2025 and aboriginal successful different states, immoderate of which are poll-bound. He has besides been accused of “proved misbehaviour."The announcement was led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which governs West Bengal, wherever assembly elections are expected successful April–May. Members of parties belonging to the INDIA bloc—the Congress-led nationalist opposition—signed the notice, on with MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party, though it is nary longer portion of the alliance.

A full of 193 MPs signed the notice—130 from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha. As per rules, astatine slightest 100 Lok Sabha MPs indispensable motion a announcement seeking the CEC's removal, portion the required fig successful the Rajya Sabha is 50.Opposition parties person repeatedly accused Kumar—who joined the Election Commission (ECI) successful April 2024 and became CEC successful February past year—of “aiding” the ruling BJP connected respective occasions, peculiarly implicit the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they allege could payment the enactment astatine the Centre.

Concerns person been raised specifically astir the SIR workout successful West Bengal, with TMC supremo and main curate Mamata Banerjee accusing the ECI of “deleting” genuine voters.Process to region a CECThis is the archetypal clip a announcement is being moved seeking the removal of the CEC.Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the process for removing the CEC is akin to that for the removal of a Supreme Court oregon a precocious tribunal judge, meaning an impeachment tin beryllium effected lone connected the crushed of proven misbehaviour oregon incapacity.Such a question whitethorn beryllium introduced successful either House of Parliament and indispensable beryllium passed by a peculiar bulk – a bulk of the full rank of the House and a two-thirds bulk of the members contiguous and voting.After the question has been admitted successful the 2 Houses, a committee shall beryllium constituted jointly by the Lok Sabha talker and the Rajya Sabha chairman.The sheet volition dwell of the main justness of India (CJI) oregon a Supreme Court judge, the main justness of 1 of the 25 precocious courts, and a “distinguished jurist."The CEC, too, volition get a accidental to talk earlier the committee.Once the committee submits its report, discussions volition commence for impeachment.The question to region a justice - successful this lawsuit the CEC - would person to beryllium passed by some Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.(With PTI inputs)