Opposition MPs have submitted notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday.
According to a PTI report citing sources, as many as 130 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 63 MPs in the Rajya Sabha have signed the notice.
The signatories include members from all parties of the INDIA bloc, the sources said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also backed the move despite no longer being formally part of the opposition alliance. Some independent MPs have also signed the notice, while several others have expressed interest in joining the initiative.
If taken up, this would be the first instance of a notice seeking the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner.
Sources said the notice lists seven charges against Kumar, including alleged “partisan and discriminatory conduct in office,” “deliberate obstruction of investigation into electoral fraud,” and “mass disenfranchisement.”
Opposition parties have accused the CEC of favouring the ruling BJP on several occasions, particularly in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they claim is aimed at benefiting the party at the Centre.
(With inputs from PTI)