Left parties seek Gyanesh Kumar’s removal as CEC, suspension of SIR

CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, along with leaders of various Left parties, addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Friday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri The Left parties on Friday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process had undermined the transparency and credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI).At a press conference at Balotsav Bhavan in Vijayawada, leaders of various Left parties said voters who had been unfairly excluded from the electoral rolls should have their voting rights restored. They also demanded restoration of the ECI’s independent and democratic functioning.The leaders referred to a September 23 report in a national daily on objections reportedly raised by two of the three Election Commissioners over decisions concerning voter registration, deletion and restoration of names and conduct of SIR. The leaders of Left parties said it reflected the functioning of the poll panel under Mr. Gyanesh Kumar.They also called for replacing the existing system of appointing Election Commissioners with a mechanism based on a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.The parties announced a week-long nationwide protest from September 26 to October 2, and appealed to the non-BJP, secular and democratic opposition parties, civil society organisations and citizens to join the campaign.The Forward Bloc, RSP, CPI(ML)-New Democracy and CPI(ML) also endorsed the decisions, though their representatives did not attend the meeting, the parties said.CPI(M) leaders V. Srinivasa Rao and D. Ramadevi, CPI leader A. Vanaja, CPI(ML)-New Democracy leader K. Polari, SUCI(C) leader Sudheer, MCPI(U) leaders Khader Basha and Kasani Ganesh, and CPI(ML) Liberation leaders D. Harinath and Uday Kiran were present. Published - September 25, 2026 06:30 pm IST