INDIA bloc stages protest in B’luru, demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

Bengaluru, Nov 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The INDIA bloc on Thursday staged a 'Save the Vote, Save the Nation' protest rally at Freedom Park in Bengaluru against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest was attended by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, ministers, MLAs and MPs, along with leaders of the AITC, RJD, NCP(SP), Shiv Sena(UBT), CPI(M), CPI, SP, JKNC, JKPDP, CPI(ML), JMM, IUML, KC(M), MDMK, VCK, RSP, Kerala Congress (Joseph) and the All India Forward Bloc.

Addressing the gathering, former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah demanded CEC Kumar's resignation, alleging that the BJP has no chance of winning the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

“Without SIR, the BJP cannot come to power, no matter what it does. The BJP cannot win by any chance in the 2029 elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is losing popularity, and his image will not remain the same in the future,” Siddaramaiah said.

He claimed that the BJP and the RSS would be defeated in 2029 and that the Constitution and democracy would be protected.

Siddaramaiah said the agitation was being carried out across the country, focusing on two prominent issues and referred to a "massive" protest held in Delhi on November 1. He said the INDIA bloc had organised the protest in Karnataka as part of the nationwide campaign.

Questioning the process through which Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner, Siddaramaiah alleged that changes were made to the selection committee after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

He claimed that the BJP did not secure a majority on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, despite the NDA winning 240 seats, and alleged that the government subsequently adopted what he termed “cunning strategies”.

Siddaramaiah said the earlier selection committee for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner included the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition. He alleged that the government changed the composition of the committee by removing the Chief Justice of India and including a Union Cabinet Minister.

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had opposed the move and the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar. Siddaramaiah further alleged that the SIR exercise was subsequently implemented unilaterally.

“The BJP will make Gyanesh Kumar its puppet. While winning elections, they indulge in communalism and illegalities,” he alleged.

He further claimed that names could be selectively removed from electoral rolls in areas where the BJP feared electoral setbacks, and also alleged that the party had used different strategies to win the 2014, 2019 and 2024 elections.

Siddaramaiah called upon all political parties and citizens to oppose the SIR exercise and reiterated his demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Karnataka Congress President and MLC B.K. Hariprasad said the leaders and workers had gathered to protect the Constitution and democracy.

“For nearly one year, all political parties, barring the BJP and its allies, have been united and staging protests. The important issue now is that eligible voters are being removed from the final voters' list. This is a conspiracy,” he alleged.

According to Hariprasad, the protesters alleged that "nearly 15 crore eligible voters could be excluded from the electoral rolls".

The protest adopted resolutions demanding that the SIR exercise be scrapped, alleging that it was against democratic principles. The gathering demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the repeal of the law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Source: IANS