Opposition Mulls Impeachment Motion Against CEC Amid ‘Vote Theft’ Row

New Delhi — Amid intensifying allegations of “vote theft,” Opposition parties may move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, multiple reports indicated on Monday.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain told news agency ANI that the party was prepared to use “all democratic tools” at its disposal, including impeachment if necessary. “If there is a need, we will use all the weapons of democracy under the rules. We have not had any discussions (about impeachment) as of now, but if needed, we can do anything,” Hussain said.

The development follows sharp exchanges between the CEC and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. A day earlier, Gyanesh Kumar rejected Gandhi’s allegations of electoral malpractice, describing them as an “insult” to the Constitution and citing provisions of electoral law. He urged Gandhi to either file a signed affidavit supporting his claims or issue an apology to the nation.

Rahul Gandhi, however, hit back, alleging double standards by the Election Commission. “The Election Commission asks for an affidavit from me. But when Anurag Thakur says the same thing that I am saying, the poll body does not ask for an affidavit from him,” Gandhi remarked.

Last week, Gandhi had argued that the Opposition was protesting to safeguard every Indian’s right to vote, demanding a “clean and pure” voter list. He maintained that alleged irregularities uncovered by Congress were not isolated to one constituency but had nationwide implications.

Rejecting the CEC’s call for an affidavit, Gandhi insisted that the Congress party’s analysis was based on data from the Commission’s own website. Citing the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he claimed that over one lakh votes were “stolen” in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency through various forms of manipulation, including:

• 11,965 duplicate voters

• 40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses

• 10,452 “bulk” or single-address voters

• 4,132 voters with invalid photographs

• 33,692 voters allegedly misusing Form 6 for new registrations

As the standoff deepens, the Opposition appears set to escalate pressure in Parliament, while the Election Commission continues to defend its institutional integrity.