Congress stages protest in Kalaburagi demanding resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress workers are staging a protest in Kalaburagi on Monday. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI

The Kalaburagi district unit of the Congress staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was operating with a clear political bias.

The protest was led by District Congress Committee President Kiran Deshmukh and MLC Thippannappa Kamaknoor. Congress workers raised slogans against Mr. Kumar and burnt his effigy during the demonstration.

Addressing the protesters, Mr. Deshmukh and Mr. Kamaknoor said that the ECI, being a constitutional institution, is expected to discharge its duties independently and impartially, but Mr. Kumar was operating in a partisan manner and accused him of behaving like a political party worker, thereby undermining the position of the CEC office, they alleged.

Mr. Kamaknoor expressed that the EOI should be loyal to the Constitution and not to the interests or directives of the Union Government. He argued that the decisions taken under Mr. Kumar’s leadership were affecting the democratic process and helping the BJP’s electoral prospects.

The protesters alleged that the BJP has hijacked the electoral process and is winning elections by misusing the ECI and erasing voters’ names from the electoral rolls. “Those who do not vote for the BJP are removed through the SIR process,” they added.

Congress leaders also alleged that special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was used to remove names of voters belonging to Muslim, Christian, OBC and SC/ST communities.

KUDA Chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, MLC Jagdev Guttedar, Kalaburagi District Level Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Chairperson Chandrika Parameshwar, District Congress Women’s Unit President Renuka Singhe and other Congress leaders and party workers participated in the protest.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 23:47 IST