Kerala Assembly Passes Historic Resolution Seeking Removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
In an unprecedented legislative development in Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a formal resolution demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar from his constitutional post. Introduced on the floor by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, the motion also sought the immediate restoration of voting rights for eligible citizens allegedly excluded during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, while urging the Union government to overhaul the appointment panel for election commissioners. Terming the legislative step a historic turning point for Kerala and Indian parliamentary democracy, Chief Minister Satheesan stated on social media that this marks the very first time an Indian state assembly has officially adopted a resolution seeking the removal of a sitting Chief Election Commissioner.
UDF-LDF Join Hands on 140-Member Floor: Demands for CJI in Selection Panel
The resolution was adopted with overwhelming bipartisan backing inside the 140-member House, where the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) commands 102 seats and the opposition CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) holds 35 members. Only three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators stood in opposition. Highlighting serious institutional concerns over the integrity of the electoral apparatus, the resolution accused the Election Commission of India of compromised impartiality and systemic disenfranchisement through wrongful voter omissions in the SIR exercise. Asserting that the right to vote represents the bedrock of the republic that cannot be subordinated to bureaucratic arbitrariness, Chief Minister Satheesan emphasized the need to restore the constitutional selection committee for the poll panel to include the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
BJP Protests Flare Outside House: Copies Burned as Rajeev Chandrasekhar Alleges Collusion
The floor move triggered immediate political friction both inside and outside the Assembly corridors. Resisting the motion, BJP Legislature Party leader B.B. Gopakumar questioned the validity of the Chief Minister's own electoral mandate, suggesting an amendment calling for the dissolution of the state assembly in 2026. Outside the legislative complex, enraged BJP cadres staged street demonstrations, burning copies of the newly passed resolution. Reacting strongly, BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar denounced the resolution as an outright "fraud," emphasizing that passing such a motion while the matter remains sub-judice in the Supreme Court violates established institutional decorum. Chandrasekhar alleged an opportunistic nexus between the Congress and the CPI(M), pointing out that the former Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala—who oversaw previous electoral roll revisions that allegedly favored the Congress—is now serving as the Chief Minister's personal secretary without facing any state administrative action.
