The Opposition&rsquo;s INDIA bloc is preparing to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying its clash with the Election Commission. This comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the poll body of facilitating large-scale voter fraud in favour of the BJP.
Gandhi, now Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alleged that over one lakh &ldquo;stolen&rdquo; votes in the Mahadevapura assembly segment of Bangalore Central helped secure a BJP victory. He also accused the Commission of manipulating voter lists in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Haryana.
Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the CEC can only be removed in the same manner as a Supreme Court judge, requiring a parliamentary impeachment.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar dismissed Gandhi&rsquo;s allegations, calling them unfounded, and demanded either a signed affidavit with evidence or a public apology. He warned that failure to provide proof within seven days would confirm the claims as baseless.
The Opposition, however, rallied behind Gandhi. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera argued that the CEC sounded like a ruling party functionary, while RJD&rsquo;s Manoj Jha and JMM&rsquo;s Mahua Maji pressed the Commission to address Gandhi&rsquo;s documents instead of deflecting questions.
Gandhi had presented research highlighting duplicate names, invalid addresses, and bulk voter registrations, claiming up to 80 voters were listed at a single address. He also criticised the EC for limiting access to CCTV polling booth footage to 45 days, calling it an attempt to &ldquo;destroy evidence.&rdquo;
The Commission countered that extending access would compromise voter privacy and reiterated that all registered voters had participated legitimately. It also denied allegations of inflated voter rolls, stressing that objections were never raised during the draft stage.
As the INDIA bloc pushes for impeachment, the confrontation between the Election Commission andthe&nbsp; Opposition is poised to become a major flashpoint in Indian politics.
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INDIA bloc targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar after Rahul Gandhi alleges mass voter fraud

Opposition Seeks CEC Impeachment Over Vote Fraud

INDIA bloc targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar after Rahul Gandhi alleges mass voter fraud

August 18, 2025 | 11:25 IST