New Delhi, Sept 24: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said it would launch a nationwide agitation if he did not step down within 48 hours.CJP national convenor Abhijeet Dipke made the announcement at a press conference in New Delhi, where he criticised the functioning of the Election Commission and raised questions over the process of electoral-roll revision.
Dipke alleged that the Election Commission’s role in determining voter eligibility raised concerns about the functioning of democracy. He called for Kumar’s immediate resignation and said the organisation would continue its proposed campaign until its demand was addressed.
The CJP’s announcement comes amid a wider political controversy surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The controversy intensified after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions and orders connected with electoral-roll procedures and SIR.
According to the report, the two commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period.The Election Commission has rejected the interpretation that the reported differences indicate a breakdown within the poll panel.
It has maintained that differences during internal deliberations are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body and that final decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.
Former Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat said decisions within the poll panel should ultimately be reached through consensus or a majority decision.
Meanwhile, the Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on September 29 to discuss the Election Commission-related controversy and other political developments.
The CJP said its proposed nationwide campaign would focus on its concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission. The 48-hour deadline issued by the organisation is a political demand and does not itself constitute a legal order requiring the CEC to resign.
