Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging concerns over the functioning and autonomy of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Addressing a Congress protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission was a constitutional body expected to conduct elections independently, impartially and transparently. He said the poll panel must function in accordance with the Constitution rather than the interests of any government.
Siddaramaiah also urged President Droupadi Murmu to intervene if members of the Election Commission were found to have acted in violation of constitutional provisions. If any violation was established, he demanded that criminal action be initiated against the CEC.
Referring to reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to some decisions of the poll panel over the past 10 months, Siddaramaiah said such developments had raised questions about the independence and transparency of the institution.
He said that if the allegations were established, the CEC should not continue in office and called for greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission.
Siddaramaiah said the Congress protest was aimed at protecting the autonomy of the Election Commission and safeguarding the constitutional right of citizens to vote.
KPCC president B K Hariprasad, who led the protest, also demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and announced that similar protests would be held at district headquarters from Monday.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and a large number of Congress workers, including youth wing members, participated in the protest.