New Delhi, March 16 Notices seeking a motion to remove Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, raising issues ranging from the appointment process to his public attacks on Rahul Gandhi and instances of alleged vote manipulation in recent elections, were submitted in both Houses of Parliament on Friday, an opposition leader said on Monday.
The notices, submitted in both Houses on Friday, seek a motion for Kumar's removal from the CEC's post, following complaints from opposition MPs about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and concerns over alleged manipulation of voter lists on multiple occasions.
The process for removing the CEC is similar to that for removing a Supreme Court or high court judge, meaning impeachment can only be effected on the grounds of "proven misconduct or incapacity".
According to the opposition leader, the notices, which are around 10 pages long, refer to a dissent note submitted by Gandhi in February 2025, when Kumar was appointed. Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, is a member of the panel that appoints the CEC, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
In his dissent note, Gandhi said, "It is disrespectful and discourteous for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to select the new CEC, when the very composition of the committee and the process are being challenged in the Supreme Court and are due to be heard in less than forty-eight hours."
The notices also mention the CEC's public ultimatum to Gandhi from a press conference in August 2025. Amid allegations of "vote theft" by the opposition, a combative Kumar had asked the LoP to either apologise or back his claims with a signed affidavit, as required under electoral rules.
The notices also refer to allegations of manipulation in the voter list raised by opposition parties in Karnataka's Aland and Mahadevapura.
The notices have been signed by around 130 members in the Lok Sabha and 60 in the Rajya Sabha. The signatories include leaders of the INDIA bloc parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and some independent MPs.
According to sources, the notices list seven charges against Kumar, including "partisan and discriminatory conduct in office", "deliberate obstruction of investigation of electoral fraud" and "mass disenfranchisement".
The opposition parties have accused the CEC of aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several occasions, especially with the SIR exercise, which they have alleged aims at helping the ruling party at the Centre.
If the motion is admitted in both Houses, a committee will be constituted jointly by the Lok Sabha speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman.
The committee will consist of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a Supreme Court judge, the Chief Justice of one of the 25 high courts and a "distinguished jurist".
The proceedings of the committee are similar to any court proceedings, where witnesses and the accused are cross-examined.
The CEC, too, will get a chance to speak before the panel.
According to rules, once the committee submits its report, it will be tabled in the House and discussions will commence for impeachment.
A motion to remove a judge or, in this case, the CEC, will have to be passed by both Houses.
When the House discusses the motion, Kumar will have the right to defend himself standing at the entrance of the House chamber.