Agra: Congress workers on Monday staged a protest outside the Agra residence of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, raising slogans against him and spray-painting derogatory messages on the main gate and a wall of the house.
The protesters, including workers of the Congress and its affiliated organisations, gathered outside Kumar’s residence in Vijay Nagar and raised slogans. They also put up stickers and pasted pamphlets around the property.
The protesters spray-painted the words “Gyanesh Gaddar Gyanesh Chor” on the gate and wall, accusing the Chief Election Commissioner of being a “traitor” and “thief”. Visuals of the protest and the defaced property were subsequently circulated on social media.
The protest is part of the Congress’s ongoing nationwide campaign against the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
What Is the SIR Row?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an exercise to revise and verify electoral rolls. The Election Commission’s official voter portal provides facilities for voters to search their names in the previous SIR electoral rolls as part of the 2026 revision process.
Congress has alleged that the current electoral-roll revision could lead to legitimate voters being excluded and has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the process. The party has consequently been demanding the resignation and removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported that two election commissioners had raised objections on 14 occasions over a 10-month period regarding decisions related to the poll panel’s functioning and SIR-related matters. The report has been cited by opposition parties in their criticism of the Election Commission.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that its decisions are taken collectively and has defended the electoral-roll revision process. The BJP and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have also criticised the Congress’s campaign against the poll panel and SIR.
Congress Intensifies Protest Against CEC
The Agra demonstration came days after Congress workers held protests across several states demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and removal. The party has accused the Election Commission of failing to ensure what it describes as a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
The Indian Youth Congress also criticised the CEC in a social media post following the Agra protest and alleged that the Election Commission had acted in favour of the ruling BJP. These are political allegations by the party and have not been established as facts.
The controversy has widened into a broader political dispute over electoral-roll revisions, the functioning of the Election Commission and the safeguards available to voters during the SIR process.
Who Is Gyanesh Kumar?
Gyanesh Kumar is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre and became the 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India on February 19, 2025, according to the Election Commission’s official website.
The latest protest adds to the growing confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and the poll panel’s functioning.