Key facts
- India's chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, faces calls for resignation over voter list manipulation.
- Opposition parties and the Cockroach Janta Party are demanding Kumar's resignation.
- A report in the Indian Express detailed objections from Kumar's deputies regarding voter rolls and digital systems.
- Over 130 million names have been removed from voter lists since revisions began last year.
- Kumar, 62, was appointed an election commissioner in March 2024 and became chief in February 2025.
- Government ministers, the ruling party, and the Election Commission deny the allegations.
India's chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, is under intense pressure to resign following accusations of widespread manipulation of voter lists. The "Cockroach" youth movement and opposition parties have spearheaded calls for his departure, citing a report in the Indian Express newspaper that detailed at least 14 formal objections raised by his two deputies over a 10-month period concerning voter rolls, registration procedures, and the poll body's digital systems.
Election Commission data indicates that over 130 million names have been removed from the voter list since the latest revision process began last year. The opposition has long alleged that the government is attempting to manipulate voter lists to its advantage, and these claims have resurfaced following the Indian Express report.
Kumar, 62, who took over as chief election commissioner in February 2025, has denied all accusations. Government ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Election Commission have also refuted the charges. The Election Commission stated that "differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution."
Kumar joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1988 and previously worked in the defense and home ministries before retiring in January 2024. He was appointed an election commissioner two months later. Opposition lawmakers had previously presented a motion in parliament for his removal, which was rejected.