Pune VIDEOS: Pimpri-Chinchwad Congress Protests In Nigdi Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over Voter Roll Revision Row

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Congress workers staged a protest outside the Tehsildar office in Nigdi on Monday against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's handling of the electoral-roll revision process. The protest was led by Pimpri-Chinchwad City District Congress president Narendra Bansode.

Workers raised slogans against Kumar and demanded his removal from the post. The agitation was part of the Maharashtra Congress's statewide protest over the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reported differences between Kumar and fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Congress alleges bias in voter roll revision

Addressing the protesters, Bansode alleged that the Election Commission was functioning in a manner that favoured the BJP. He alleged that names of voters opposed to the BJP were being removed from electoral rolls, while names supporting the BJP were being added. He also alleged that the process for adding new voters had been made difficult.

These allegations are part of Congress's political criticism of the Election Commission and have not been established as facts. Bansode also questioned changes linked to Form 6, which is used for new voter registration. He referred to reports that Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections to changes made to the form and other electoral-roll procedures.

Bansode demands action against CEC

Bansode demanded the removal of Kumar and called for an investigation into decisions taken during his tenure. He also demanded that decisions related to the SIR process and electoral-roll management be reviewed. According to him, the Election Commission should function with greater transparency.

During his interaction with reporters, Bansode was also asked why Congress was holding the protest separately instead of bringing other Opposition parties together. He said different political parties had the right to hold independent protests. He pointed out that other parties had also raised concerns over the Election Commission. Bansode said the focus should be on protecting democratic and constitutional values rather than on whether all Opposition parties participated in the same protest.

The protest comes days after reports highlighted disagreements within the three-member Election Commission. According to reports, Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections over several decisions, including changes to Form 6, concerns about access to electoral-roll databases and issues linked to voter deletions and appeals.

The reports also said the two Commissioners had questioned whether some decisions were taken without their knowledge or approval. The issue has triggered criticism from Opposition parties, including Congress, which has demanded action against Kumar.

Election Commission says SIR decisions were unanimous

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that Kumar acted alone or that SIR decisions were taken without the approval of the other Commissioners. On September 26, the poll panel said all SIR orders had been approved by all three Election Commissioners. It also said changes to Form 6 had received the Commission's approval.

The Election Commission has also announced measures to make the SIR process easier for voters. In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 12, while disposal of cases has been extended to November 10.

The Election Commission has also said that citizens generally will not have to appear physically for hearings unless required in exceptional cases. It has proposed online hearings and help desks to assist voters during the process.

The Nigdi protest comes amid a wider political and institutional dispute over the electoral-roll revision process and the functioning of the Election Commission.