INDIA bloc plans mock parliament session to symbolically impeach Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

NEW DELHI — Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to conduct a mock parliament session at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Friday to symbolically impeach Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proceedings, scheduled for 3.30 pm at 10, Rajaji Marg, come after permission was denied to host the event at the Ashoka Hotel and subsequently at Ramlila Maidan, where a large-scale protest is slated for November 1. Congress leaders asserted that the successive venue denials are intended to curtail opposition political mobilisation.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will chair the mock proceedings. According to the planned schedule, Mallikarjun Kharge will introduce the resolution against Gyanesh Kumar before the floor is opened to other attendees, while Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is slated to deliver the concluding address.

The gathering aims to amplify opposition allegations that the election authority has undermined democratic safeguards and exercised unilateral powers during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. The event will also feature accounts from voters who state their names were removed during the special intensive revision, alongside contributions from parliamentarians and legal experts.

Invitations have been extended to opposition MPs, civil society figures, student leaders, and affected voters, according to a senior Congress leader. Organisers had initially planned for three MPs to stage a performance and sought participation from former Supreme Court judges and jurists, though at least five former judges declined to join. It remains unconfirmed whether specific individuals will portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the CEC during the scripted session.

The mock trial serves to build political momentum for the coalition’s upcoming November 1 rally opposing what it terms vote chori. Previous actions by the opposition include meeting President Droupadi Murmu to demand Kumar’s removal and the repeal of a 2023 law that provides immunity to the CEC and election commissioners. Under this legislation, the CEC can be removed via a parliamentary process akin to a Supreme Court judge’s impeachment, or by tendering a resignation to the President.

The Congress party previously stated last month that it intended to move a formal impeachment motion following a report detailing objections raised by two election commissioners regarding decisions tied to the special intensive revision, before ultimately shifting focus to public outreach initiatives.