New Delhi [India], September 30 : Members of the INDIA bloc arrived for a coordination meeting being held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Wednesday, CPI MP P Sandosh called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that concerns raised by opposition parties over the electoral process had “come true”.
The meeting is being attended by leaders of several INDIA bloc parties and is expected to focus on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and issues concerning the Election Commission.
Speaking to ANI, Sandosh said, “The INDIA alliance parties will meet today. This meeting is very important in the present Indian political situation. This meeting was supposed to take place in the month of August, but now all alliance partners are meeting to intensify the ongoing agitation.”
He alleged that concerns raised by opposition parties had subsequently been reflected in developments involving the Election Commission.
“All allegations and apprehensions raised by the opposition political parties have come true. Now the election commissioners themselves admitted that there are certain irregularities, gross misconduct and attempts to sabotage the democratic process,” he said.
“So, the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar is the only way, and we are continuously demanding the same, and in this meeting we will chalk out a further action program to carry forward this,” Sandosh added.
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the meeting would discuss the Election Commission, SIR and other issues. He said, “The Election Commission, SIR, and other issues will be discussed... We will present a proposal here based on the discussion that took place in the CWC meeting yesterday.”
JMM leader Manoj Pandey said his party would participate in the meeting and implement any decision taken by the INDIA bloc unanimously.
“This is an important meeting on a very important issue. We have to save democracy and the country; we have to free the country from the clutches of dictatorship. Today, a leader from our party will participate in the meeting, and whatever decision the INDIA bloc takes will be implemented unanimously," he said.
The Samajwadi Party is being represented by MPs Harendra Malik and Maulana Mohibbullah Nadvi. SP president Akhilesh Yadav is not attending the meeting as the party is holding a farmers’ conference in Lucknow and is engaged in the Rajya Sabha nomination process.
The INDIA bloc meeting comes a day after the Congress CWC discussed SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also raised concerns over the electoral process and criticised CEC Gyanesh Kumar.