The Congress on Wednesday signalled that the Opposition is open to considering an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for such a move.
Congress leader K. C. Venugopal said the matter would be discussed collectively by Opposition parties, indicating that consultations were already underway.
“The Trinamool Congress has already contacted the Congress... I think the entire Opposition will take a call on the matter, which is one of the most relevant issues raised by the Trinamool. We are positively looking at it,” Venugopal told mediapersons in the Parliament House complex.
His remarks came a day after Banerjee demanded the impeachment of the CEC amid her party’s protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, however, chose not to comment. When asked about Banerjee’s demand, he said, “I am not commenting on that.”
Banerjee is in the national capital as part of a campaign against the SIR exercise, which the Trinamool Congress alleges is leading to the deletion of voters’ names in the state.
On Tuesday, she and members of her delegation walked out of a meeting with CEC Kumar and other election commissioners, accusing the poll panel chief of arrogance and claiming they were humiliated during the interaction.
At a press conference later, Banerjee appeared alongside people from West Bengal whom she said had been affected by the SIR process. She alleged that the electors whose names were being deleted were Trinamool supporters.
The process for removing a chief election commissioner is similar to that followed for a Supreme Court judge. Removal can take place only on the grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity.
A motion for removal can be introduced in either House of Parliament and must be passed by a special majority, a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.