Amid Opposition protests, CEC Gyanesh Kumar postpones another visit

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's two-day Chhattisgarh visit has been postponed due to unavoidable reasons. The decision comes amid Opposition protests, court petitions and scrutiny of the Election Commission.

In Short

• Chhattisgarh visit of Gyanesh Kumar postponed for unavoidable reasons
• State had prepared security and reception for Kumar as 'state guest'
• No new date fixed; previous visits also postponed amid controversies

The two-day Chhattisgarh visit of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and senior Election Commission officials, scheduled for October 7 and 8, has been postponed due to “unavoidable reasons”, the state Chief Electoral Officer’s office said.

The postponement comes amid intensified Opposition protests demanding Kumar’s resignation, talk of a notice in Parliament for an impeachment motion and petitions pending before the Supreme Court. The Election Commission has also faced criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes to Form 6.

During his scheduled visit, Kumar was to visit the Danteshwari Mata Temple in Dantewada, Chitrakote Waterfall in Bastar and the Bhoramdeo Temple in Kabirdham district.

The Chhattisgarh government had accorded Kumar the status of a “state guest” for the visit. The Raipur administration, police and Swami Vivekananda Airport authorities had begun preparations for his reception and security arrangements.

The state CEO’s office said no fresh date has been finalised yet. The revised schedule will be shared separately after it is received from the Election Commission of India.

The postponement follows earlier instances in which Kumar’s scheduled visits to Meerut and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, were also postponed amid controversies surrounding the poll panel.

The development follows a high-voltage Opposition protest in Delhi on Tuesday, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading an over eight-hour sit-in near the Election Commission office.

Opposition Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Live Updates

Opposition MPs had attempted to march from Parliament House towards the EC headquarters, demanding a meeting with the election commissioners over their “vote chori” allegations. Police stopped the march amid heavy barricading and detained several Opposition MPs.

Gandhi, along with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders, entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises, around 200 metres from the EC office, and remained there after insisting on meeting the poll panel.

The sit-in continued for several hours before police forcibly removed the protesters after 8 pm. Around 250 people were detained, according to police. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, Congress leader KC Venugopal and other Opposition MPs were subsequently released after brief detention.

The Opposition protests are set to continue on Wednesday, with the Aam Aadmi Party announcing that it will join Congress, Left parties and other Delhi-based parties in a demonstration outside the Delhi CEO’s office at 1 pm.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bhardwaj said the party had called upon its workers, supporters and members to participate in large numbers. He said the AAP had already decided to join protests held on the streets over the “vote chori” issue.

- Ends