New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad on Thursday criticised Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and supported the party’s plan to move an impeachment motion against him, alleging that the Election Commission was not functioning impartially.

Speaking to IANS outside Parliament, Azad said the actions of the Chief Election Commissioner raised serious concerns about the neutrality of the poll body.

“This is not the CEC; this is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s CEC. The way the Election Commission is functioning, even after several Supreme Court observations, raises serious questions,” he said.

Azad claimed that the Trinamool Congress delegation was treated disrespectfully when they went to meet officials.

“Our delegation that went to meet the Election Commission was treated in a disrespectful manner. They were spoken to improperly, and there were women members present as well. You can understand the mentality from the way they were treated,” he said.

Azad also claimed that the functioning of the Chief Election Commissioner was not in accordance with constitutional principles.

“The way the CEC is working appears unconstitutional. That is why we, along with other opposition parties, are raising our voice against it,” he added.

The Trinamool Congress is reportedly exploring the possibility of moving an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner in Parliament. For such a motion to be admitted, the signatures of at least 100 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and at least 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha are required.

According to the 2023 law governing the appointment and functioning of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, the CEC cannot be removed from office except in a manner similar to that used for removing a judge of the Supreme Court.

This means that the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner requires an impeachment motion passed in both Houses of Parliament. The motion must be approved by a special majority — a majority of the total membership of the House as well as a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.

The controversy surrounding the Election Commission has intensified in recent months, particularly over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The exercise began in Bihar last year and has since been conducted in several states, leading to repeated clashes between the opposition and the Election Commission.

In September 2025, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner was “protecting vote thieves and destroying democracy”. Gandhi also held two press conferences in which he claimed that the Election Commission failed to prevent the inclusion of dubious voters in Karnataka and Maharashtra, drawing strong reactions from the poll panel.

Opposition parties also approached the Supreme Court seeking to halt the SIR process, arguing that it was biased in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, the apex court did not stop the exercise, even though it conducted detailed hearings on the procedures involved.

Last month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee became the first Chief Minister to actively challenge the SIR exercise in the Supreme Court.

“We have only one point — everyone must have the right to vote. We want to ensure voting rights for all. If anyone thinks they can capture power by intimidating people or removing names from the voters’ list, that will not happen,” Banerjee had said.

The Trinamool had earlier kept some distance from the Congress-led opposition’s move to bring a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. However, the party later extended support, expecting the opposition to back its efforts against the Chief Election Commissioner.

Meanwhile, after the no-confidence motion against him was rejected, Om Birla returned to the Speaker’s chair in the Lok Sabha and addressed the House, amid rising tensions between the ruling government and opposition parties.

–IANS

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