CITU seeks resignation of CEC over alleged 13-crore vote deletions

CITU activists burn the effigy of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar seeking his resignation, in Tirupati on Saturday. | Photo Credit: K.V. POORNACHANDRA KUMAR Demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) activists burned his effigy at a protest near Old Municipal office in Tirupati on Saturday. They alleged that Mr. Gyaneshwar Kumar had deleted 13 crore votes under the guise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.Speaking to the media on the occasion, CITU district vice-president Vandavasi Nagaraju said, “If the BJP government at the Centre respects the Constitution and democracy, it must provide transparent answers regarding the affairs of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and safeguard voters’ rights.Along with the resignation of the CEC, the CITU leader also demanded accountability for the deletion of 13 crore votes, the restoration of voters’ rights, and an end to the crackdown on protests in Delhi. He criticised the ECI, stating that it had trampled upon the Constitution by deleting the names of crores of voters across the country.The CITU leader alleged that the ECI was acting in favour of the BJP government rather than functioning independently. He further claimed that the exploitation of the electoral system for the political interests of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah poses a threat to democracy.He condemned the obstruction of protesters heading to Delhi to voice their dissent and called their detention, which prevented them from reaching the capital, as an assault on democratic rights. He criticised the measures taken to block the protesters, and questioned what kind of democracy detains people who come to voice their dissent and takes them to police stations.Mr. Nagaraju said that the government should provide answers to the public and that suppressing their voices was unbecoming of the BJP government. “By obstructing those fighting for their right to vote, the government is further fuelling public suspicion regarding the electoral system,” he claimed. Published - October 10, 2026 07:17 pm IST