BENGALURU: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday accused the Election Commission of India of being a “partner in vote theft” and demanded its dissolution, while former chief minister Siddaramaiah sought President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention and the dismissal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the poll panel’s functioning and autonomy has come under serious question.
Addressing a Congress protest at Freedom Park against the CEC, Shivakumar accused the Election Commission of functioning as a “puppet of the BJP”. “The Election Commission is a puppet of the BJP. The names of poor voters and those who criticise the administration are being targeted. They have become partners in vote theft along with the BJP,” he said.
Shivakumar urged the president to intervene and dissolve the Election Commission and demanded that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls be scrapped and undertaken afresh.
“The president should intervene and dissolve the Election Commission. The chief election commissioner should be arrested and elections that were conducted illegally should be cancelled,” he said.
Referring to Article 324, Siddaramaiah said the CEC enjoyed special protection from removal and could be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge. He said the president should initiate action if violations of constitutional provisions were established.
“Chief election commissioners cannot be removed like ordinary officials. They can be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge,” he said, demanding that Gyanesh Kumar be removed and a criminal case registered against him.
Siddaramaiah also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the electoral process had been misused to retain power. “Modi did not become prime minister through a fair election. He came to power through vote theft. A prime minister who came to power through the back door has no moral right to continue in office even for a minute,” he said.
“The president, as the authority responsible for protecting the constitution, should intervene if members of the Election Commission acted contrary to constitutional provisions,” he said, adding that criminal proceedings should be initiated against the CEC if violations were established.
Siddaramaiah referred to reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions of the poll panel over the past 10 months. He said the developments raised questions about the independence of the ECI and demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s dismissal if the allegations were established.
KPCC president B K Hariprasad, who led the protest, also demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and said the agitation would be extended to district headquarters from Monday.
Shivakumar said the Congress would take its campaign against the SIR to the grassroots and urged party leaders and booth-level agents to organise the movement across the state. Scores of Congress workers, including those from the youth wing, participated in the protest.