CEC row: CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby pushes for broader Opposition unity, calls for INDIA Bloc-Plus

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby has called for a broader coalition of Opposition parties and civil society organizations, dubbed 'INDIA Bloc-Plus', to resist what he perceives as the "misuse" of power by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, allegedly with the backing of the BJP leadership. This call for a wider Opposition unity came after reports that Baby had spoken with Mamata Banerjee, the All India Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, to build a broader framework of opposition at the national level.

Baby stated that India's political landscape is going through "critical moments" and that a significant aspect of the misuse of the CEC's power has been exposed. He emphasized that the INDIA Bloc must involve more parties, including civil society and new political forces like Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Baby highlighted how a "basic, democratic and transparent task" (the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll) was subverted by the CEC, and not only about whether he should be forced to resign, but also about holding those who supported him accountable for their alleged illegal actions.

Baby had written to Mamata Banerjee to reach out to various Opposition parties across the country and discussed the "state of affairs" in the country and how the EC had been "hijacked" by the ruling party with Banerjee.