Congress to discuss party’s strategy on ECI; senior leaders demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

On Monday, the Congress staged a protest in Kalaburagi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The group alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was operating with political bias. District Congress Committee president Kiran Deshmukh and MLC Thippannappa Kamaknoor led the demonstration, raising anti-Kumar slogans and burning an effigy of him.

Deshmukh and Kamaknoor addressed the protesters, stating that the ECI, as a constitutional body, should operate independently and impartially. However, they accused Kumar of acting like a political party representative, thus tarnishing the CEC's reputation. Kamaknoor emphasized that the ECI's loyalty should be to the Constitution, not to the Union government.

Protesters claimed that decisions under Kumar's leadership were impacting the democratic process and aiding the BJP's electoral gains. They alleged that the BJP had taken over the election process, using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to remove voters from rolls, particularly those belonging to Muslim, Christian, OBC, and SC/ST communities.

Other Congress leaders present included Mazhar Alam Khan, Jagdev Guttedar, Chandrika Parameshwar, Renuka Singhe, and various party workers.