THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an unprecedented legislative action, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan moved a historic resolution in the Kerala Legislative Assembly demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The Assembly subsequently passed the resolution, making Kerala the first state in India to adopt a formal resolution against the sitting head of the Election Commission of India.
The bold stance taken by CM VD Satheesan has sparked widespread discussion across the country’s political spectrum. Several non-BJP state governments are closely observing this development and are likely to follow the Kerala Government’s lead by moving similar resolutions in their respective state assemblies.
Key Demands Highlighted in CM Satheesan’s Resolution:
​Ouster of Chief Election Commissioner: Calling out alleged political pressures compromising the neutrality of the constitutional body, the resolution urges the Central Government to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Restoration of Excluded Voters: Addressing grave flaws in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the resolution demands the immediate reinstatement of voting rights for all voters arbitrarily removed from the list.
Reconstitution of Selection Panel: To protect the independence of future appointments, the resolution insists that the panel selecting Election Commissioners must comprise the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister VD Satheesan asserted that protecting democratic values and constitutional propriety is vital to maintaining public trust in India’s electoral architecture.
