‘Gyanesh must be removed’: DMK demands CEC’s ouster, backs student protests

NEW DELHI: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday demanded the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an inquiry into his conduct, accusing him of overseeing the systematic disenfranchisement of legitimate voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party also extended its support to student protests against the exercise and resolved to seek the scrapping of the SIR and a return to paper ballots.

The resolutions were adopted at a meeting of the DMK Parliamentary Party, chaired by party president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai. The meeting adopted four resolutions, including one demanding Kumar’s removal, another extending solidarity to student organisations protesting against the SIR, and a third accusing the Congress and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of maintaining double standards on the issue. The DMK's demand comes amid a wider political campaign against Kumar, with opposition groups calling for his resignation and announcing a Tiranga march.

News agency ANI reported citing resolution that Stalin had opposed the SIR in July 2025 after reports emerged of large-scale voter deletions in Bihar, the first state where the exercise was introduced. He also participated in the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, accompanied by DMK deputy general secretary and parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.

The party said Stalin subsequently raised concerns after the Election Commission announced on October 27, 2025, that the SIR would be conducted in 12 states, including Tamil Nadu. He alleged that the BJP was seeking to extend the exercise to Tamil Nadu as part of a conspiracy to disenfranchise voters. The DMK also objected to conducting the revision during November and December, citing the monsoon and festive seasons.

Its MPs, the resolution said, had repeatedly raised concerns in Parliament over the exercise and its potential impact on eligible voters. Referring to the 2025 Bihar Assembly election results, the party recalled Stalin's November 15 remarks on problems within the opposition alliance, including disagreements over seat-sharing and candidates from alliance partners contesting against one another. However, Stalin had maintained that these political difficulties did not justify alleged lapses by the Election Commission. The resolution said public confidence in the poll body had fallen to an unprecedented low.

In a separate resolution, the DMK extended full solidarity to student organisations protesting against the SIR and reiterated its demand for Kumar's removal. The party said Stalin was among the first leaders in Tamil Nadu to condemn the exercise and accused the CEC of disregarding the Constitution, acting unilaterally and exceeding his authority.

Stalin also reiterated his criticism during by-election campaigns in Dharapuram and Madurantakam, the resolution said. The party maintained that its position remained unchanged: the SIR should be scrapped and Kumar removed from office. It also pledged support to protests organised by democratic groups seeking these demands.

In its third resolution, the DMK accused the Congress and TVK of double standards over the electoral revision. The resolution criticised the Congress for opposing the SIR at the national level while, according to the DMK, remaining reluctant to raise similar concerns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It argued that allegations of irregularities should be addressed consistently across states.

The party also questioned the TVK's position, asking why its leader, actor Vijay, had not publicly opposed the SIR or demanded Kumar's removal despite democratic groups sharing a platform with the party during protests. The DMK further alleged that certain individuals associated with the Congress were praising the TVK for personal benefits. It accused both parties of misleading the public and warned against attempts to provoke a political confrontation with the DMK, which is not part of their alliance.

Under its fourth resolution, the DMK decided that its MPs would submit a formal petition to the President of India seeking electoral reforms under Stalin's guidance. The party's demands include the complete scrapping of the SIR and the use of pre-SIR electoral rolls for all upcoming elections.

It also called for discontinuing electronic voting machines and restoring the traditional paper ballot system, arguing that the move would help rebuild public confidence in the electoral process.