LS Speaker & RS Chairman rejects notice of motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

NEW DELHI: After “a careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects and issues involved”, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Lok Sabha Chairman have rejected the opposition’s notice of motion to remove Chief Election Commissioner Janesh Kumar, a move that is bound to deepen the bitter spat between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and its opponents in the campaign blitz for the five Assembly elections.As many as 130 LS and 63 RS members from the opposition parties (more than the stipulated requirements) submitted notices to their respective Houses of Representatives on March 13, demanding Kumar’s removal for alleged partisanship and discriminatory behavior, especially in the SIR movement.“After due consideration of the notice of motion and careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects and issues involved therein, the Speaker (Om Birla) in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, refused to admit the said notice of motion,” an LS notice said.RS Representative Chairman CP Radhakrishnan made a similar announcement. Although the announcement did not specify the reason for the denial, officials said it was common practice.The notification was signed by members of the Indian opposition parties and other rivals of the BJP such as AAP and had the necessary support – at least 100 LS MPs and 50 RS MPs.Parliament is scheduled to convene for a three-day session on April 16 to consider a bill to implement women’s reservation in LS and state assemblies in the 2029 general elections, and the rejection of the opposition’s move against the CEC is expected to trigger a new round of conflict between the two parties.Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said in a cryptic post, “We know what happened to the last RS president who accepted petitions filed by Opposition MPs”, while TMC’s Derek O’Brien said, “Ah! I told you. CEC ‘disappearing Kumar’ notification to cancel was rejected by RS MPs. Reason? No reason given. The BJP has been making a mockery of our great Parliament.”If the opposition parties, especially the TMC, which is at the forefront of rallying support for the notification, raise the issue in their polls to highlight their claim that constitutional institutions have been compromised under the leadership of the BJP, then the ruling party will flag the issue as a nod to the functioning of the CEC by the Congress president.After the Congress-led notification to remove Birla was admitted by the LS and rejected by voice vote, the TMC is believed to have urged the main opposition party to join it in taking similar action against Kumar.