Over 190 Opposition MPs sign motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

191 opposition MPs from both houses have signed a motion to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, led by the Trinamool Congress. The motion, citing electoral roll irregularities in West Bengal, will be submitted on March 13.

A total of 128 opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha and 63 MPs in the Rajya Sabha have signed a motion seeking the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, sources in the Trinamool Congress said on Thursday.

Sources from Trinamool Congress said the motion is expected to be formally submitted on March 13. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) can be removed only through the same procedure and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court. The motion must be signed by 100 members in the Lok Sabha or 50 members in the Rajya Sabha.

TMC MP Details Motion Against CEC

Earlier in the day, Trinamool MP Saugata Roy told ANI that the party is preparing an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner. He said, "We are preparing an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner. More than 100 MPs are supporting us. We might submit it today. The Opposition will be seen united on this."

Roy also addressed the recent rejection of a No-Confidence Motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker, expressing his disappointment. He said, "I think it was a chance to raise our complaint against the Speaker and the functioning of Lok Sabha as a whole."

Roy also laid out his party's plans to move an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging serious irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. "We shall bring an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner as per Article 324 of the Constitution. We have many, many complaints about him. The way the SIR has been handled, the way people have lost their lives because of the SIR, and the way the (voter) list has been published, it must be exposed. That is why, after the no-confidence motion (against the Speaker), we are hoping that our impeachment or removal resolution will go through," Roy said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)