Echo of row in ECI: Protest in Mandya seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, SC urged to take suo moto cognisance

A protest took place in Mandya to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation following a dispute within the Election Commission of India (ECI). Various organizations, activists, and leaders participated in the demonstration, organized by Dalit groups and the Samana Manaskara Vedike (Forum of Like-minded Organisations), at Jayachamarajendra Circle.

Their primary concerns were the protection of voters' rights and transparency in the electoral process, as well as the alleged electoral irregularities committed by Kumar. In Mysuru, M. Lakshmana, a spokesperson for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), addressed a press conference and called for Kumar's arrest. He alleged that Kumar had taken decisions intended to benefit the BJP in the elections and accused him of "stealing" votes for the party.

Lakshmana claimed that Kumar was behaving like Hitler and pointed out that the CEC had disagreed with the decisions of two other Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, on 14 occasions. He stated that these disagreements and objections were not considered by Kumar, who allegedly planned to remove 1.56 crore voters in Karnataka through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.