Opposition plans fresh motion against election chief

Congress sources said a joint Opposition motion to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is being drafted for submission in both Houses of Parliament, as three Maharashtra residents separately asked the Bombay High Court to overturn Election Commission orders and restore voters removed during a recent revision of electoral rolls. The planned motion follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to decisions and processes at the Election Commission, including matters linked to the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR. Those reports said objections had been raised on at least 14 occasions. The underlying internal records were not included in the supplied accounts, and the Election Commission disputed the suggestion that decisions were made unilaterally. The Commission said its actions complied with the law and its instructions, and that differing observations were part of deliberations. It said decisions by the full Commission, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.