Gyanesh Kumar Controversy: Why CJP Is Demanding the CEC’s Resignation
A political controversy has intensified around Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following reports of internal objections raised by two Election Commissioners over several decisions related to electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The controversy gained further momentum on September 24, 2026, when the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gave Gyanesh Kumar a 48-hour deadline to resign and warned that it would launch a nationwide protest if he did not step down. The organisation has since said that its nationwide protest will begin from Mumbai on October 2 if the resignation demand is not met.
At the centre of the controversy is a report by The Indian Express stating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months concerning decisions and processes within the Election Commission.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the characterization of these objections as evidence that the Chief Election Commissioner was acting unilaterally. The Commission has said that the issues raised were part of its normal decision-making process and that decisions, including those concerning SIR, were taken unanimously.
Why Is CJP Demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation?
The immediate trigger for CJP’s demand is the controversy surrounding the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions and the reported objections raised by the two Election Commissioners.
On September 24, CJP national convener Abhijeet Dipke announced a 48-hour ultimatum for Gyanesh Kumar to resign. The organisation also launched a nationwide campaign called “Election Commission Thik Karo.”
CJP has linked its demand to concerns surrounding the SIR process, including the reported exclusion of more than 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories.
The organisation has also demanded an independent investigation into decisions taken during the SIR exercise and greater transparency about how those decisions were authorised.
The resignation demand is a political demand from CJP. It does not, by itself, establish that the Chief Election Commissioner committed a legal violation.
What Is the Controversy Inside the Election Commission?
The main controversy stems from a detailed report by The Indian Express, which examined internal records and reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months.
According to the report, the objections concerned several aspects of the Election Commission’s work, including:
- Addition of new voters
- Deletion and restoration of names from electoral rolls
- Changes involving Form 6
- Access to electoral-roll databases
- Centralisation of electoral-roll systems
- Certain administrative decisions involving Election Commission personnel
The report said that some of the objections were copied to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The reported disagreements are significant because electoral-roll preparation, voter registration and deletion of names are central functions of the Election Commission.
However, the existence of objections does not necessarily mean that the Commission’s final decisions were made without the approval of the full Commission. The ECI has specifically disputed that interpretation.
Who Are the Three Election Commissioners?
The Election Commission of India is a three-member constitutional body consisting of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
The three officials at the centre of the current controversy are:
| Official | Position |
|---|---|
| Gyanesh Kumar | Chief Election Commissioner |
| Sukhbir Singh Sandhu | Election Commissioner |
| Vivek Joshi | Election Commissioner |
The current dispute concerns the working relationship and decision-making processes among these three members.
What Were the 14 Objections About?
The reported objections covered several different areas. Some relate directly to electoral rolls, while others concern administrative functioning within the Commission.
Changes to Form 6
One of the most closely watched issues involves Form 6.
Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion of their names in the electoral roll.
According to The Indian Express, a new declaration was introduced in the online Form 6 process asking new applicants about whether their own name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the electoral roll during the previous SIR.
Although the declaration section was not formally marked as mandatory, applicants reportedly could not submit the form without answering it.
Internal records examined by The Indian Express reportedly showed that both Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to the change, with the objections focusing on whether the additional requirement could be introduced without changes to the relevant electoral-registration rules.
The reported objections used strong terms including “unauthorised” and “illegal.” Those descriptions should be understood as the position recorded in the officials’ objections, rather than as a final judicial determination that the Form 6 change was unlawful.
Questions Over Electoral-Roll Database Access
Another issue concerns the technology and systems used to manage electoral-roll information.
The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi raised concerns about the centralisation of electoral-roll databases and restrictions on access for officers responsible for maintaining electoral rolls at the state and field levels.
The report said the two Election Commissioners questioned whether changes to access and control of the electoral-roll system were consistent with the statutory responsibilities of field-level officials.
Because electoral-roll databases contain the information used to determine who is included in voter lists, questions over who can access, modify and maintain those databases have become an important part of the controversy.
Voter Deletion and Restoration
The reported objections also involved the deletion and restoration of names from electoral rolls.
The Indian Express investigation said that the issues raised by the two Election Commissioners touched on voter additions, deletions, restoration of names and appeals concerning decisions taken during the SIR process.
These procedures matter because an individual’s inclusion or exclusion from an electoral roll directly affects their ability to participate in an election.
Other Administrative Issues
The reported objections were not limited to voter registration and SIR.
The investigation also referred to disagreements concerning administrative matters, including certain communications issued in the Commission’s name, work allocation and some issues involving Election Commission personnel.
One reported objection concerned officials travelling abroad without the Commission’s approval, while another involved concerns about learning about new IT modules and portals through media reports.
These issues indicate that the reported disagreements extended beyond the SIR process itself.
What Is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?
The Special Intensive Revision, commonly referred to as SIR, is an exercise to revise electoral rolls.
Electoral rolls need to be updated periodically to account for eligible new voters, deaths, changes in residence and other circumstances that can affect whether a person’s name should appear on a particular electoral roll.
The current SIR exercise has become politically contentious because of the scale of the changes reported in draft electoral rolls.
The Indian Express reported that more than 13 crore names had been excluded from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the exercise. CJP has cited the figure in its criticism of the Election Commission.
It is important to distinguish between exclusion from a draft electoral roll and permanent loss of voting rights. A draft-roll exclusion is part of the revision process and can be subject to the procedures provided for claims, objections and corrections.
Therefore, the figure should not be presented as meaning that 13 crore people have permanently lost their right to vote.
Why Does Form 6 Matter?
Form 6 is important because it is the application used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll.
The recent controversy relates to an additional declaration introduced in the online application process.
According to reporting based on internal ECI records, applicants were asked whether their name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, had appeared in the electoral roll during the previous SIR.
The controversy is not simply about the questions themselves. The reported objection concerns the authority under which the additional requirement was introduced and whether changes to the relevant rules were necessary.
The Indian Express reported that the two Election Commissioners objected to the change in May, while the declaration subsequently appeared in the online process.
What Has the Election Commission Said?
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections demonstrate that Gyanesh Kumar was taking decisions on his own.
In its response to the reporting, the Commission said that the operational queries, inputs and suggestions raised by the two Election Commissioners were part of the normal decision-making process.
The Commission also said that the issues raised related to draft-stage processes and that all decisions taken by the Commission during the period, including decisions concerning SIR, were unanimous.
This creates an important distinction in the controversy.
On one side, reporting based on internal records describes repeated objections by two Election Commissioners concerning several decisions and processes.
On the other side, the Election Commission says those objections were part of its internal decision-making process and did not mean that the final decisions were taken without the approval of all three Commissioners.
What Does CJP Want?
CJP has made several demands in connection with the controversy.
Its demands include:
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- An independent investigation into decisions taken during the SIR exercise
- Greater transparency regarding the reported objections raised by the two Election Commissioners
- Action concerning exclusions from electoral rolls
- Preservation of relevant electoral-roll records
- Examination of the legal and administrative framework governing the Election Commission
CJP has also demanded that relevant SIR records be transferred for independent scrutiny and has called for changes to the law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.
These are demands made by the organisation and should not be confused with decisions already taken by the Election Commission, courts or Parliament.
Will There Be Nationwide Protests?
CJP has announced that it will launch a nationwide protest if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within the deadline set by the organisation.
On September 25, CJP said that the nationwide protest would begin in Mumbai on October 2 if the CEC does not step down. The organisation has described the planned action as a nationwide campaign and has referred to the possibility of a protest in Delhi similar to its earlier Jantar Mantar demonstration.
The October 2 date is therefore a planned protest date announced by CJP, rather than evidence that a nationwide protest has already taken place.
What Happens Next?
Several developments could shape the next stage of the controversy.
CEC’s Response
One immediate question is whether Gyanesh Kumar will respond to CJP’s resignation demand and whether any formal action will follow.
Election Commission Clarifications
The Commission may face continued questions about the reported objections, particularly concerning Form 6, electoral-roll databases and the SIR process.
The ECI has already maintained that its decisions were unanimous, but the reported internal notes have generated further demands for transparency.
CJP’s Protest Plans
If the resignation demand is not accepted, CJP has announced that it will begin its nationwide protest campaign from Mumbai on October 2.
The scale and duration of any such protests will depend on developments after the deadline.
Possible Legal Developments
The controversy is also entering the legal sphere. A petition has been reported before the Supreme Court seeking action concerning alleged unilateral decisions connected with SIR and asking for scrutiny of decisions said to have been taken without the concurrence of the other Commissioners.
The legal proceedings, if taken up, could provide another avenue for examining the issues surrounding the electoral-roll revision process.
Gyanesh Kumar Controversy Explained in 5 Points
- CJP has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and initially gave him a 48-hour deadline.
- The controversy follows reports of 14 objections recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over a 10-month period.
- The reported objections cover several electoral processes, including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, Form 6 and electoral-roll database access.
- The Election Commission disputes the characterization of the objections as an internal breakdown, saying that the issues were part of its decision-making process and that final decisions, including SIR, were unanimous.
- CJP has announced a nationwide protest from October 2 if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gyanesh Kumar?
Gyanesh Kumar is the Chief Election Commissioner of India and heads the three-member Election Commission.
Why is CJP demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation?
CJP is demanding his resignation over concerns it has raised about the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR electoral-roll revision process and following reports of objections recorded by two Election Commissioners.
What is the Election Commission controversy?
The controversy centres on reported disagreements within the Election Commission over issues including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, Form 6 requirements and access to electoral-roll databases.
What are the 14 objections reported by The Indian Express?
The reported objections covered several areas of Election Commission functioning, including electoral-roll additions and deletions, Form 6, database access and various administrative decisions.
What is SIR?
SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision. It is an electoral-roll revision exercise intended to update and verify voter lists.
What is Form 6?
Form 6 is the application used by eligible citizens to seek inclusion in the electoral roll.
What did the Election Commission say about the reported objections?
The Election Commission said that the queries and suggestions raised by the two Commissioners were part of its normal decision-making process and maintained that decisions taken by the Commission, including SIR, were unanimous.
Are nationwide protests planned?
Yes. CJP has announced that it plans to begin a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2 if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. The announcement concerns a planned protest and does not mean that nationwide protests have already taken place.
