Rahul Gandhi Warns: ‘Gyanesh Kumar Will Go, This Government Will Go’
Congress leader intensifies attack on the government and the Election Commission, citing opposition protests and reported disagreements among election commissioners over electoral roll revisions.
NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asserted that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would leave office and the Narendra Modi led government would also go, after which efforts to restore democracy would begin.
In a Hindi post on X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote, “Gyanesh Kumar will go. This government will go. Then the repair of democracy will begin.”
Gandhi also shared a video clip of his address to MPs belonging to the INDIA bloc at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in Parliament, in which he criticised the Election Commission and the central government.
His remarks came a day after he alleged that the issues surrounding Kumar reflected a deeper problem that could not be resolved without a change in the government. Addressing opposition MPs on Friday, Gandhi claimed that recent protests had unsettled the ruling establishment and predicted that sustained pressure from the opposition could bring down the government.
“There is a much deeper problem than Gyanesh Kumar and it requires termination of this current government,” Gandhi said during his address.
The former Congress president urged opposition parties to maintain their campaign, saying their efforts over the preceding days had created pressure on the government. He also described the issue as one worth fighting for, emphasising the opposition’s determination to continue raising concerns over democratic institutions.
Gandhi’s latest statement marks a continuation of the Congress’s criticism of the Election Commission, particularly over its handling of electoral roll revisions and allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.
The opposition’s campaign has intensified following a report published by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months. According to the report, most of the disagreements concerned decisions and orders relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The reported objections have brought renewed attention to the functioning of the poll panel and the decision-making process within the constitutional body.
Responding to questions over the differences among its commissioners, the Election Commission maintained that differing opinions and observations are a normal feature of deliberations within any institution. It also asserted that its orders carry full legal authority and comply with established statutory procedures.
The controversy has become a key point of confrontation between the opposition and the government, with Congress leaders questioning the conduct of the electoral process and demanding accountability from the poll panel.
The opposition has argued that transparency in electoral administration is essential to maintaining public confidence in elections. The Election Commission, however, has defended the legality of its decisions and the procedures followed in issuing its orders.
Gandhi’s comments on Saturday indicate that the Congress intends to continue pressing the issue politically, linking its criticism of the Chief Election Commissioner to wider concerns about democratic accountability and institutional independence.
The remarks also reflect the increasingly confrontational atmosphere between opposition parties and the ruling BJP, as disputes over electoral procedures remain at the centre of political debate.
