The opposition's campaign against the Election Commission is set to move into a new and unusual format this week. The INDIA bloc will hold what it calls a "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday, October 30, at 3:30 pm at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi, the official residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh announced the plan on X on Wednesday, saying the bloc had been "denied other locations" before settling on Kharge's home.
What is a 'public impeachment'?
It is important to be clear about what this event is and is not. It is a political programme, not a constitutional process. Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the CEC can be removed from office only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge, which requires a motion passed by a special majority in both Houses of Parliament. The opposition's "public impeachment" is a symbolic exercise designed to put its charges against the CEC before the public.
Earlier this year, opposition MPs did attempt the formal route. In April 2026, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla declined to admit notices of motion seeking the CEC's removal. The secretariats said the decision followed a careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects.
Why the opposition is targeting the CEC
The INDIA bloc has accused the Election Commission of irregularities and strongly opposes the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that it could lead to large-scale deletion of voters. Congress has been running a "vote chori" (vote theft) campaign for months. Ramesh's statement was sharp: he said the CEC "has demonstrably violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution" and accused him of having "lied to the Supreme Court."
The Election Commission has in the past defended the SIR as an exercise to update and clean up electoral rolls. No fresh response from the Commission or the BJP to Wednesday's announcement had been reported at the time of writing.
Venue row: Ashok Hotel and Ramlila Maidan
The choice of Kharge's residence followed a row over venues. Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the party had first got approval from Ashok Hotel, which was later reversed after police intervention. He also said the party had booked Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3, but police stopped workers from setting up infrastructure there.
"We don't know what the reason is," Venugopal said, adding that he believed the decision came from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. He warned that if the opposition was stopped again, it would stage a dharna outside the homes of Amit Shah and PM Modi.
Key facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | INDIA bloc's 'public impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar |
| Date and time | Friday, October 30, 2026, 3:30 pm |
| Venue | 10 Rajaji Marg, New Delhi (Mallikarjun Kharge's residence) |
| Parties involved | 21 INDIA bloc parties, as per Congress |
| Follow-up | Mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, November 1, 10 am to 5 pm |
| Main issue | Alleged electoral irregularities and the SIR of voter rolls |
| Earlier attempt | Removal notices not admitted by RS Chairman and LS Speaker in April 2026 |
The bigger picture: November 1 rally
The October 30 programme is being pitched as a curtain raiser for the opposition's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan. Delhi Police has issued a no-objection certificate from a law-and-order point of view, subject to permission from the land-owning agency, with conditions that the rally end by 5 pm and that there be no overnight stay at the venue. The BJP, meanwhile, has planned its own counter-programmes, including padyatras on the same day.
What it means and what happens next
For voters, the face-off is part of a larger argument about trust in electoral institutions, playing out at a time when roll revision is underway in several states. The public impeachment will not have any legal effect on the CEC's tenure, but it signals that the opposition plans to keep the issue alive on the streets as well as in Parliament and the courts.
All eyes will now be on how many INDIA bloc leaders turn up on Friday, whether the Election Commission chooses to respond, and how the November 1 rally shapes up.
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