Sanjay Raut seeks removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR objections

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ignored objections raised by two Election Commissioners over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Raut demanded Kumar’s removal from office and legal action against him, alleging that the objections raised during the SIR process were repeatedly ignored.

His remarks came after a report claimed that two Election Commissioners had raised objections on 14 occasions over decisions taken by the Election Commission during a 10-month period.

In a post on X, Raut said: “Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail. He must go to jail. His boss will flee the country.”

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut also demanded that Union home minister Amit Shah be removed from the Union cabinet, alleging that the government had failed to act on concerns relating to the electoral-roll revision.

“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has even one per cent concern for saving democracy, Amit Shah should be removed from the Union cabinet,” Raut said.

He also said Kumar should be removed as CEC and face legal action. If the government failed to act, Raut said he would approach the President seeking Kumar’s removal.

Raut alleges objections were ignored
Raut claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised 14 objections in 10 months on issues related to the SIR exercise, including Form 6 and other aspects of electoral-roll management.

“Despite this, Gyanesh Kumar continued with the process,” Raut alleged, adding that a complaint had also been made to the Cabinet Secretary but no action was taken.

Raut further alleged that Kumar acted on Shah’s instructions and linked the alleged electoral irregularities to BJP victories in West Bengal and Bihar.

However, it is significant that Gyanesh Kumar was not the Chief Election Commissioner when the Maharashtra assembly elections were held in November 2024.

Speaking to PTI, Raut claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had “rebelled” against Kumar and praised them for allegedly bringing the matter before the public.

Aaditya Thackeray attacks EC
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the Election Commission, alleging that it was undermining Indian democracy.

Thackeray alleged that the poll panel was acting like an agent of a political party and had deprived millions of Indians of their right to vote.

He further alleged that a system that began with universal adult franchise after Independence had now been turned into one based on selective electoral rolls.