MAMATA TAUNTS CEC GYANESH KUMAR AS INDIA BLOC LEADERS ESCALATE ATTACK OVER ELECTORAL ROLLS

November 1, 2026

Senior INDIA bloc leaders on Sunday intensified their criticism of the Election Commission of India at a major rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The rally brought together prominent Opposition figures, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp verbal attack on Kumar, questioning his tenure and alleging that West Bengal had been adversely affected by the SIR exercise. “Bengal is victim of SIR. We will not spare them, we will fight,” she said, before taunting the Chief Election Commissioner with the question, “Gyanesh, when will you vanish?” She also accused the BJP of undermining democratic institutions and depriving citizens of their rights, allegations contested by the ruling party.

Kharge alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in several states had benefited from what he described as “vote theft”. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of protecting Kumar and attempting to deprive Dalits, women and young people of their voting rights. Kharge vowed that the Opposition would continue its agitation until the Chief Election Commissioner resigned.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav described Ramlila Maidan as the “Haldighati of democracy”, invoking the historic Battle of Haldighati to characterise the political confrontation. He said the public mobilisation demonstrated that political change could arrive at any time and targeted the BJP ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Yadav alleged that the party was relying on the Election Commission because it feared electoral defeat.

Tejashwi Yadav compared the gathering to the Mahabharata, accusing those in power of manipulating elections. Referring to the dice game in the epic, he alleged that the current political confrontation had its roots in electoral manipulation rather than a conventional battlefield. His remarks formed part of the Opposition’s wider campaign against the alleged misuse of electoral processes.

The INDIA bloc has argued that the SIR exercise risks excluding eligible voters from electoral rolls and has demanded greater transparency and accountability from the Election Commission. The Commission has rejected allegations of political bias and wrongdoing. The rally marked another stage in the Opposition’s campaign to challenge the electoral-roll revision process and press for Kumar’s resignation.