The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The state assembly is the first in the country to adopt such a resolution urging the Union government to remove Kumar from his position.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister V D Satheesan in the 140-member assembly, where the ruling Congress-led alliance has a strength of 102 members. The Left, which has 35 members, also supported the resolution, leading to its unanimous passing.
Apart from urging the union government to remove the CEO, the resolution has also demanded restoration of voting rights by addressing the irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and to immediately restore the voting rights of all eligible voters who have allegedly been wrongfully excluded.
It also demanded a change in the process of electing the CEO. It wanted the selection committee for the CEO to include the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India, ensuring the independence and credibility of the institution.
Satheesan said the right to vote is the foundation of our democracy. No institution can be allowed to undermine the constitutional rights of our citizens, he said.
“Our stand is unequivocal. The right to vote must be protected. The Constitution must be upheld. Democracy must prevail. Keralam stands firmly for free and fair elections,” he said.
Last year, the assembly had passed a resolution against the SIR when the Left was in power.