Apex Court: INDIA Bloc Targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Mamata, Akhilesh

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-12 13:20:00

The confrontation between the opposition INDIA alliance and the Election Commission of India has escalated into a full-scale dual front across the streets of New Delhi and the corridors of the judiciary. Mounting an aggressive campaign against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the joint opposition is pairing nationwide street agitations with a direct legal challenge against the controversial 2023 appointment legislation that shields poll commissioners from post-tenure legal prosecution. High-profile regional heavyweights—including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav—have arrived in the national capital to lead the agitation, as the Congress leadership issued strict whips instructing all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha parliamentarians to remain stationed in New Delhi.

Capital Mobilization: Key Leaders Gather as Rahul Gandhi Postpones Tour

The coordinated opposition offensive has brought together key leaders across multiple regional parties:

Regional Stalwarts in Delhi: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav have set up base in the capital to coordinate joint demonstration lines and legal drafts.

Parliamentary Directives: Congress high command issued emergency instructions mandating the physical presence of every party Member of Parliament in Delhi to participate in daily marches and demonstrations.

High-Level Strategy Sessions: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi canceled his scheduled tour to Goa, remaining in the capital to chair back-to-back war-room consultations with top alliance strategists.

Kharge Condemns 2023 Legislation: 'Immunity Far Beyond the President and CJI'

Speaking from Bengaluru, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge leveled serious allegations against the Centre's legislative framework:

Unprecedented Statutory Shield: Kharge asserted that the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, grants poll commissioners sweeping legal protections that are unavailable even to the President of India or the Chief Justice of India.

Lifelong Exemption Allegation: The Congress chief argued that the statute creates lifelong exemptions from judicial scrutiny or administrative inquiry for official actions, calling it an institutional design intended to dilute electoral accountability.

Vow to Resist: Describing the framework as a calculated erosion of democratic processes, Kharge reaffirmed that the opposition will sustain its resistance through both public movements and constitutional challenges.

Dual-Track Legal Offensive: The Core Constitutional Arguments Prepared for Court

Having submitted a formal memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the alliance is finalizing a comprehensive writ petition for the Supreme Court:

Immunity Under Challenge: The primary legal challenge targets statutory clauses that shield election commissioners from post-retirement investigations, criminal proceedings, or punitive scrutiny regarding their tenure decisions.

Exclusion of the Chief Justice: The petition takes direct aim at the amended appointment framework that excluded the Chief Justice of India from the three-member selection panel, altering the parity previously mandated by the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench ruling.

Scrutiny of Postal Ballots: The legal dossier incorporates detailed documentation alleging vulnerabilities and manipulation within the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS).

Capital Under High Security: Thousands of Forces Deployed Ahead of Today's Marches

Central Delhi has been placed under heavy security following continuous demonstrations spanning from Parliament House toward Nirvachan Sadan:

Extensive Force Deployment: Opposition coordinators stated that over 30,000 Delhi Police personnel and upwards of 7,000 paramilitary troops have been stationed around key government avenues, roundabouts, and party offices to restrict protest marches.

Mass Weekend Detentions: Tensions increased following widespread police detentions of hundreds of party workers and student activists over Saturday and Sunday, which alliance leaders condemned as an overreach.

Sustained Agitation: Unfazed by security cordons and regulatory curbs, the INDIA bloc leaders have reaffirmed their resolve to sustain daily street marches while pursuing early hearings before the apex court.

Previous Post

India's major success, DRDO successfully tests hypersonic missile technology

Next Post

Terrorist Acts Tolerated Nowhere: Indian Envoy Dinesh Patnaik Draws Firm Red Line in Canada