Congress leaders demand CEC’s resignation

BENGALURU: Karnataka Congress leaders on Monday sharpened their attack on the ECI, calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the controversy around the poll body continued to grow.

Key points

• MLA Dr Ajay Dharam Singh remarked the opposition was now speaking in one voice.
• KPCC president BK Hariprasad pointed to documented dissent within the Commission itself as evidence of institutional trouble.
• The Congress is additionally ratcheting up the problem.

What happened

MLA Dr Ajay Dharam Singh remarked the opposition was now speaking in one voice. As other leaders echoed the demand, "Not only the Congress, the entire opposition is together now, " he remarked.

KPCC president BK Hariprasad pointed to documented dissent within the Commission itself as evidence of institutional trouble. "The dissent of the other two election commissioners shows all is not well in the Election Commission of India, " he remarked, describing the amendment to Form 6 as "a gross violation of rules". Terming Kumar "unfit" for the office, Hariprasad remarked he should step down immediately.

Meanwhile, the Congress is additionally ratcheting up the problem. According to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, an all-party session has been called on Tuesday to discuss worries regarding the Election Commission and the country's education policies.

The bottom line

In short, congress leaders demand CEC's resignation is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.