IMPHAL/UKHRUL: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Friday staged a state-level protest march towards the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manipur, at Lamphelpat, demanding the immediate removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in electoral-roll revision and concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The protest, organised as part of the Congress’s nationwide agitation, turned confrontational when party workers attempted to enter the CEO office premises, leading to a face-off with security personnel. Security forces subsequently fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
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Addressing the gathering, MPCC president and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh questioned the functioning of the Election Commission and raised concerns over what the Congress described as the concentration of decision-making powers in the hands of the CEC.
The Congress party has alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions and voter deletions and has raised the broader issue under its “Vote Chori” campaign. The party has demanded an independent review of decisions and electoral-roll changes made during Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure, along with a transparent and accountable electoral process.
The protest comes amid a controversy over reported objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on several decisions related to electoral-roll revision, voter registration, deletion of names and handling of electoral-roll data.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected suggestions of a split within the three-member Commission, stating that differing views are part of institutional deliberations and that decisions taken over the past year were unanimous.
The Congress has announced another round of protests at district collectorates on September 28 as part of its continuing agitation.
