Opposition Submits Fresh Notice In RS To Impeach CEC Gyanesh Kumar Even As SC Expresses Pleasure At Bengal Voter Turnout

New Delhi: On a day the Supreme Court expressed happiness at the record turnout in the first phase of polling in West Bengal, the Opposition, submitted a fresh notice to the Rajya Sabha for removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The notice, submitted on Friday, has signatures of 73 MPs from different parties.

The Indian Express has quoted sources as saying that a new notice was submitted with “fresh grounds” for the removal of Kumar, with the coordination and collection of the notice handled by the TMC and Congress.

“We have submitted the notice with 73 signatures today afternoon. This time, we have given fresh grounds for the removal of the CEC. We have mentioned specific instances with regard to the CEC which are grounds for his removal from the post,” a source privy to the matter has been quoted as saying.

Notices for motion to impeach Gyanesh Kumar were rejected by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan a few weeks ago.

Both Birla and Radhakrishnan had then said that the allegations levelled by the Opposition members “lack the proof necessary to constitute misbehaviour which establishes a prima facie case for removal of Chief Election Commissioner”.

“Admitting removal motions based on administrative disagreements or political perceptions would jeopardise its very independence, the Constitution aims to safeguard,” The Rajya Sabha Chairman had said.

“These allegations, even if presumed to be factually correct, do not amount to any act of misbehaviour attributable to the Chief Election Commissioner,” Radhakrishnan had said further.

The impeachment motions against Kumar had earlier been moved on March 12. The effort was then led by the TMC. There were 130 signatories from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha.

Opposition parties had criticised the move after the notices for impeachment of Kumar were rejected by Parliament, with TMC MP Derek O’Brien alleging a “mockery of our great Parliament”.