LS, RS Reject Opposition Bid to Get CEC Out
A notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said the Chairman, after examining all aspects, refused to admit the motion under powers vested in him.
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan on Monday rejected separate notices moved by the Opposition seeking removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The notices, submitted on March 12, 2026, were signed by 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha members, alleging partisan conduct, obstruction of electoral fraud investigations and disenfranchisement. In separate orders, both presiding officers declined to admit the motions under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, read with relevant provisions of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and other applicable laws.
A notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said the Chairman, after examining all aspects, refused to admit the motion under powers vested in him. A similar notification from the Lok Sabha Secretariat stated that the Speaker had also declined to admit the motion after due consideration.
Reacting to the decision, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "We know what happened to the last Chairman of the Rajya Sabha who accepted a petition moved by Opposition MPs".
His remarks were seen as a reference to former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Opposition parties have accused the Chief Election Commissioner of favouring the ruling party during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Under the law, the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner follows a process similar to that of a Supreme Court or High Court judge, requiring proof of misbehaviour or incapacity.