Congress vows indefinite nationwide agitation for removal of Chief Election Commissioner

NEW DELHI — The Congress-led nationwide agitation targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will continue indefinitely until he is removed from office and the country’s electoral framework is reformed, All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, Venugopal stated that demonstrations are currently active across multiple states and districts, with only a brief suspension anticipated for the Diwali festival. He positioned the ongoing protests—following a November 1 rally in New Delhi that he described as one of India’s strongest recent demonstrations—as a direct confrontation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“We will withdraw from this agitation only after Gyanesh Kumar is removed from the post and steps are taken to make India’s electoral system and processes flawless, impartial and fair. This is not a struggle that we will abandon midway,” Venugopal said.

The party’s broader mobilization strategy includes a panchayat-level campaign titled ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ (Save the Vote, Save the Nation), which will roll out over the next month and a half. Venugopal explained that the initiative involves deploying a designated ‘Vote Rakshak’ (guardian) at every polling booth to inspect electoral rolls, locate citizens whose names have been dropped, and visit their residences to facilitate registration recovery.

According to Venugopal, the deletion of voter names directly impacts impoverished communities by stripping them of both their franchise and eligibility for government welfare schemes increasingly tied to voter identity cards. In addition to local state and district programs, the party is coordinating joint actions with other opposition groups and intends to aggressively contest the issue during the upcoming Parliament session. He recalled that opposition protests during the previous parliamentary session prevented Union Home Minister Amit Shah from entering the House for nearly two weeks.

Addressing regional governance in Kerala, Venugopal defended the state administration as capable of resolving challenges, asserting that isolated incidents and administrative lapses are unavoidable. He dismissed controversy surrounding allegations linking Excise Minister M Liju to bar owners by stating that elected representatives naturally interact with various constituents, including local businesspersons. Commenting on corruption allegations raised by former Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao, Venugopal maintained that the former official should have filed his complaints while still in office, though he confirmed the government has agreed to examine the matter and take appropriate action.