Thiruvananthapuram: On Monday, the assembly passed a resolution seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar along with corrective measures to address alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, though three BJP members opposed it.CM V D Satheesan moved the resolution under Rule 118, contending that EC’s (election commission) handling of SIR had raised questions about transparency in the electoral process and the protection of eligible voters’ constitutional rights. The assembly passed the resolution after he accepted an amendment proposed by leader of the opposition Pinarayi Vijayan to replace the reference to ‘lakhs of voters’ with ‘crores of voters’.The resolution sought measures to rectify SIR irregularities, restore the voting rights of eligible citizens whose names had been wrongly excluded from the rolls and initiate action against Kumar in the wake of the controversies surrounding SIR.Satheesan said free, fair and transparent elections were the foundation of democracy. He said allegations had emerged that lakhs of voters were removed from electoral rolls in the name of SIR without intimation. Denying eligible citizens the right to vote amounted to a violation of democratic principles, he said, adding that EC had the responsibility to ensure that no eligible voter was deprived of this right.The resolution said EC failed to ensure transparency in the operation of the software used for SIR. Satheesan said EC is a constitutional institution that must function in a transparent and independent manner. Any attempt to deprive citizens of their voting rights would violate the Constitution, while irregularities in electoral rolls could undermine the popular mandate, he said.The resolution raised concerns over the legal and administrative framework governing the revision, including the powers exercised by electoral registration officers and the safeguards available to voters whose names were omitted. It said the alleged deficiencies must be rectified and voting rights of eligible citizens must be restored soon.It argued that the exercise in its present form had generated apprehensions about the fairness of the electoral process and the possibility of eligible voters being excluded without adequate safeguards. The resolution sought action against Kumar and other election commissioners over the alleged lapses. It sought appropriate measures to address the concerns raised over EC’s functioning to restore public confidence in the electoral system.
