NEW DELHI: India’s opposition Congress party on Thursday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold elections using ballot papers, while announcing plans for a symbolic “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over electoral irregularities.
Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition would hold a “public impeachment” of election chief Kumar during the INDIA bloc’s programme on Friday.
Speaking to ANI news agency, Kharge said members of Parliament would meet to raise concerns about the Chief Election Commissioner’s conduct, alleging an erosion of democratic norms under PM Modi.
#WATCH | Delhi | On the Legislative Council (MLC) election results, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “If he (PM Modi) truly has the courage, let him dissolve Parliament and hold elections using ballot papers… The public will not be satisfied by talk of minor, localized elections; the people demand justice. The real discussion today should focus on inflation, unemployment, and the challenges facing the youth—these are the issues that ought to be debated. Instead, he chooses to fixate on trivial matters—such as claiming that the Congress party is nowhere to be seen. After all, there was a time when they [the BJP] held only two seats in the entire Parliament. Must we keep reminding them of that?…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2026
He asserted, “The conduct of Gyanesh Kumar and the scheme to dismantle democratic norms—acting on the directives of Modi-ji and Shah-ji—are making every effort to destroy democracy.”
Kharge criticised the Prime Minister’s comments on ballot-paper elections and issued a direct challenge: “They are mocking the demand for ballot papers. Well, do it then! If you have the courage, dissolve Parliament and conduct the elections on ballot paper.”
Opposition Plans Major Protests
Meanwhile, India’s youth-led political pressure group, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has backed an opposition alliance rally planned for November 1 to demand the removal of the election chief over irregularities in a controversial revision of electoral rolls.
The move marks a shift in strategy for the CJP, which had previously run a parallel campaign to that of the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Indian National Congress (INC), despite sharing concerns over the voter list revision.
In a statement published on X by its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP said it would support any organisation fighting for free and fair elections in India, including the opposition alliance.
“Gyanesh Kumar has lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections. His resignation is therefore necessary to restore the credibility and independence of the Election Commission,” the statement said.
GYANU MUST GO! The Cockroach Janta Party extends its support to the INDIA Bloc’s November 1 rally. Nation above all! #JaiBhim #JaiHind https://t.co/jbSsRQeHEw
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 28, 2026
The youth-led movement added that the Constitution guaranteed every adult citizen the right to vote and that no eligible voter should be deprived of that right.
Dipke said in his post that the CJP supported the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, adding: “Nation above all!”
Dispute Over Voter Roll Revision
The controversy centres on the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began in 2025 to remove redundancies, including the names of deceased voters and people registered more than once.
More than 130 million names have been deleted from voter lists since the exercise began, according to Indian media reports.
Election authorities say the deletions include people who have died, moved away or appeared more than once on the rolls. Critics, however, argue that the scale of the removals raises concerns that eligible voters may also have been excluded.
Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the process and questioned Kumar’s role in benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The CJP, student organisations and opposition parties have been protesting against the revisions and electoral irregularities for more than a month.
CJP Leaders Face Protest Restrictions
The CJP and the INC have so far pursued separate campaigns despite making similar demands. Their latest alignment could broaden the opposition mobilisation against the election chief and challenge PM Modi.
Earlier this month, CJP leaders were detained and arrested during protests and made to sign bonds prohibiting them from calling for mass demonstrations in central Delhi.
Under Indian law, the chief election commissioner can be removed by Parliament through a process similar to that used to remove a Supreme Court judge. The commissioner may also resign by submitting a written resignation to the President.
