NEW DELHI: The INDIA bloc is set to meet for the second time in four months on Wednesday to chalk out its response to the alleged differences within the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.The opposition parties are likely to finalise a joint action plan, including an agitation against the EC’s voter-roll exercise and a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
What’s on agenda
The opposition will prepare a draft notice for a fresh bid to move a motion in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the removal of the CEC and deliberate on its approval at the meeting, sources told news agency PTI.On April 7, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairperson CP Radhakrishnan had rejected the opposition’s first notice, which was signed by 130 Lok Sabha members and 63 Rajya Sabha members, seeking the CEC’s removal over alleged partisanship and arbitrariness in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Meanwhile, a notice moved by 73 opposition MPs from Rajya Sabha on April 24 seeking Kumar’s removal is already pending in the Upper House of Parliament.Article 324(5) of the Constitution states that the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only “in like manner and on like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.”
Who is attending
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi are expected to attend the opposition meeting.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are also expected to join. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti are among the other leaders likely to participate.The Left parties are also expected to be represented, with CPM Rajya Sabha floor leader John Brittas likely to attend. Leaders of the CPI, CPI(ML), RSP and other Left parties are expected to join as well.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is likely to participate virtually due to prior engagements in Mumbai, including a campaign against the Election Commission.NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule and leaders of smaller opposition parties, including the JMM, IUML, VCK, MDMK, Kerala Congress factions, RLP, BAP, Lok Dal and Forward Bloc, are also expected to attend.Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal is likely to participate in the deliberations.
Who is skipping
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is unlikely to attend in person. The party is expected to send senior leaders instead. Reports said Akhilesh cited commitments linked to the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh and other prior engagements.The absence comes amid differences between the SP and Congress over seat-sharing discussions for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.The Aam Aadmi Party, DMK and Biju Janata Dal are among the parties that will not attend the meeting.The AAP was part of the INDIA bloc’s 2024 Lok Sabha alliance but has since distanced itself from the grouping.The DMK, a Congress ally in Tamil Nadu, has also decided to stay away. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the party remained aligned with the opposition on several issues but was no longer part of the INDIA bloc. He said the party would support a removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar if one is brought in Parliament.BJD will also skip the meeting.
EC under fire
The meeting comes amid the opposition’s campaign against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.This comes after a report revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times in the past 10 months over SIR-related decisions and orders they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
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The EC has rejected suggestions of institutional dysfunction, saying differing views are a normal part of deliberations and that its orders have full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.The opposition has sought to use the SIR controversy to press its demands against the poll panel and the government, while attempting to bring different opposition parties together.The previous INDIA bloc meeting was held on June 8. The parties had then decided to demand the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row and write to the Chief Justice of India over the SIR exercise and allegations of “vote loot”.
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