Election Commission Row Deepens: Opposition Takes Protest to Supreme Court, CJP Seeks Jantar Mantar Date

NEW DELHI: The dispute over the Election Commission’s functioning escalated on Monday as opposition leaders pursued a legal challenge against the poll panel, while the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) sought fresh permission to stage a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The INDIA bloc’s attempt to march towards the Supreme Court ended before reaching the court complex. Police stopped the procession on Bhagwan Das Road, at some distance from the institution.

The gathering, however, was accompanied by a legal move: a petition against the Election Commission was submitted by the Congress legal team, with Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, named as the principal petitioner.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav were also named in the petition.

The legal initiative followed an unsuccessful attempt by Gandhi and Kharge to secure a meeting with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

They had wanted to present their concerns over alleged “vote chori”.

According to people familiar with the matter, the request was declined in view of cases already pending before the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice’s judicial responsibilities in matters relating to the dispute.

The opposition’s concerns extend beyond the allegations of electoral malpractice.

Its proposed representations also covered police measures against people demanding Kumar’s resignation, the urgency of hearing challenges to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the mechanism through which appointments to the Election Commission are recommended.

CJP presses police for permission to demonstrate

The confrontation has also spilled onto the streets, with CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka approaching Parliament Street Police Station on Monday.

They sought a date for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar against Kumar and gave the Delhi Police 24 hours to respond with a proposed date.

Their demand comes after a major security operation on Saturday disrupted a planned mass gathering seeking the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.

More than 7,000 people were reportedly detained, including CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and four former chief ministers, according to the account provided.

Jantar Mantar, where demonstrations are ordinarily permitted under designated arrangements, remained largely empty during the security operation.

The reported deployment exceeded 30,000 security personnel, with barricades erected at multiple points across Lutyens’ Delhi to prevent protesters from reaching the venue.

The restrictions continued the following day. Police reportedly detained more than 200 demonstrators on Sunday while they raised slogans and tried to move toward Jantar Mantar.

Police buses were used to remove some protesters, and further detentions were reported at different locations into the evening, including after 6.30 pm. The developments marked the second day of the CJP-led agitation.

Disagreement over electoral roll revision at the centre of dispute

Opposition criticism of the Election Commission’s SIR exercise has fuelled the political confrontation, which has become a contentious issue in the debate over electoral administration.

Reports have also raised questions about the decision-making process within the poll panel.

According to those reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to certain decisions or orders on at least 14 occasions over 10 months.

Some of the actions were reportedly taken without their knowledge.

The Election Commission has presented a different account, maintaining that its three members made decisions unanimously, including those concerning the electoral roll revision.

The dispute now involves several interconnected questions: the conduct of electoral roll revision, the internal decision-making of the constitutional body, access to judicial consideration of the opposition’s concerns, and the handling of street protests.

Further legal proceedings and official responses are likely to shape the next stage of the confrontation.

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