Opposition parties on Friday intensified their confrontation with the Election Commission by submitting a fresh motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of acting with political bias in the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
Opposition Accuses EC of Selective Action
The notice submitted in the Rajya Sabha claims that the Election Commission did not respond to complaints regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s televised address to the nation on April 18, which came just before Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
The Opposition has alleged that the speech violated the Model Code of Conduct, but the poll body did not issue any notice or advisory.
“As on the date of this notice, Gyanesh Kumar has issued no show-cause notice, no advisory, and no public response to any of the said complaints,” the motion stated.
Opposition leaders argued that the inaction demonstrated a clear double standard in the way the Commission handles complaints against ruling party leaders and opposition figures.
Jairam Ramesh and Sagarika Ghose Lead Motion
The fresh removal motion was formally submitted to the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose.
The notice has been signed by 73 MPs, significantly exceeding the constitutional minimum requirement of 50 members needed to move such a proposal in the Rajya Sabha.
The motion has received support from a wide range of opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Left parties, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), RJD and IUML.
The united front indicates growing opposition anger over the Election Commission’s handling of politically sensitive complaints.
Fresh Motion After Earlier Attempt Failed
This is the Opposition’s second attempt to initiate removal proceedings against Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier, on March 12, opposition MPs in both Houses had submitted motions seeking the Chief Election Commissioner’s removal, with 63 Rajya Sabha members and 130 Lok Sabha members supporting the proposal.
However, the attempt was rejected on April 6 by Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Following that setback, opposition leaders revised the motion and added new allegations before filing the fresh notice.
Earlier Motion Rejected for ‘Lack of Evidence’
While rejecting the earlier motion, the presiding officers of both Houses stated that the Opposition had failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case of “misbehaviour,” which is required under constitutional provisions for initiating removal proceedings.
A detailed 17-page order issued by both Houses said the allegations were not adequately substantiated and that several issues raised had either already been decided or were under judicial consideration.
The order also stated that while the matters raised might carry political significance, they did not meet the constitutional threshold required under Articles 324(5) and 124(4) for removing the Chief Election Commissioner.
Each of the seven charges listed in the earlier motion was examined and rejected individually.
Opposition Steps Up Pressure on Election Commission
The renewed motion comes at a politically sensitive time, soon after the Opposition succeeded in defeating the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The bill aimed to redistribute parliamentary seats based on the 2011 Census to enable implementation of women’s reservation.
With electoral tensions rising in multiple states, the Opposition is now seeking to place additional pressure on the Election Commission by questioning its neutrality.
The latest move is expected to deepen the institutional confrontation between the Opposition bloc and the poll body as elections draw closer.
