Highlights from the Election Commission series: CEC Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately; PM Modi, Amit Shah will be investigated, says Rahul Gandhi

Bengaluru Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on 24 September 2026 asked for a fresh SIR of electoral rolls and called for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid a row over reported differences within the poll panel over the decision-making process.

Speaking to reporters on the back of a media report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally registered objections at least 14 times in the past 10 months, Mr. Shivakumar said the reported differences raised serious questions about the country’s democratic system.

“Today, in a democratic system, two out of three members expressed their disapproval. The right to vote, which is supposed to protect every individual and their livelihood, was threatened today,” he said.

Mr Shivakumar said the issue of alleged ‘Vote Chori’ (vote theft) was raised by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi from Bengaluru, asserting that the right to vote belongs to every citizen.

Claiming that more than one million names have been deleted from the electoral rolls of Karnataka for various reasons, he said he has sought more time for the exercise and any further action should be preceded by the finalization of the state’s electoral roll.

“Let our voter list be completed. After that, whatever way we have to raise our voice and fight on this matter, I will certainly continue to do so,” he said.

“We want a new SIR to be implemented. We want everyone to have their rights,” he said, adding that the issue should be discussed at length, including in Parliament. — PTI