Ranchi: Congress on Monday staged a demonstration outside the Election Commission’s office in Dhurwa here, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations raised against him related to the SIR exercise.Party workers, carrying flags and placards, marched from the old Vidhan Sabha building to EC office, raising slogans against the CEC and accusing the commission of “vote theft”. Effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Kumar were also burnt during the protest.The procession later turned into a public meeting addressed by senior Congress members and state ministers.Congress in-charge Bhupendra Marawi said free, fair and transparent elections were the foundation of democracy. He said the commission must respond to public concerns over electoral rolls and the voting process.State Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh demanded Kumar’s resignation to facilitate an independent inquiry into issues concerning the credibility of the EC.Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav said every eligible voter must have an equal opportunity to exercise his or her franchise.Ministers Radha Krishana Kishore and Shilpi Neha Tirkey, former MP Dheeraj Sahu and others also addressed the gathering.Congress submitted a memorandum to chief electoral officer K Ravi Kumar, seeking a review of the Special Intensive Revision, changes in the electoral rolls and an inquiry into allegations made by two Election Commissioners against the CEC.JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey said the party would stage a demonstration outside Lok Bhavan on Wednesday, demanding the CEC’s resignation. He alleged that the deletion of crores of voters during the SIR and unilateral changes in election rules were unconstitutional.Meanwhile, Left parties held demonstrations in Bokaro, Dhanbad and Godda districts over the SIR issue and also demanded the CEC’s resignation.
