New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) All eyes will be on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday, August 17, as he will address his first press conference since taking charge of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in February this year after his predecessor Rajiv Kumar’s retirement.

The briefing, scheduled for 3 PM at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, comes at a politically charged moment, with the poll body under intense scrutiny from the Opposition.

The immediate backdrop is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive in Bihar, which has snowballed into a national political flashpoint. Opposition parties have accused the poll panel of “colluding” with the BJP to manipulate voter rolls — a charge the Commission has firmly denied via official sources, through its social media accounts and by issuing fact-checks.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a few days back, presented what he called “proof” of voter list manipulation, citing alleged irregularities in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency and drawing parallels to the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls.

That marked a notable shift in the Opposition’s strategy — moving away from its years-long focus on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to directly challenging the ECI’s credibility. The Bihar SIR drive, coupled with demands for transparency in linking Aadhaar to voter rolls, has become the latest rallying point against the poll panel.

For Gyanesh Kumar, the stakes could not be higher. His remarks on Sunday will not only be his maiden opportunity to set the tone of his leadership but could also shape public perception of the ECI at a time when its impartiality is under the scanner.

Media questions are expected to range from the Bihar SIR drive to the inclusion of Aadhaar, and from the conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to last year’s Maharashtra Assembly elections.

With Opposition leaders sharpening their attack and civil society groups amplifying concerns, Sunday’s briefing could become a defining moment for the new CEC.

–IANS

sas/dan