New Delhi [India], September 30 : Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader John Brittas on Wednesday said that a strategy will be planned in the INDIA bloc meeting to "expose" Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and to ensure that he steps down from his position. 
Speaking to ANI at the Constitution Club, where the INDIA bloc is set to hold a meeting, Brittas said, "We will chalk out the strategy, the campaign to expose Gyanesh Kumar and also to ensure that he quits or otherwise he is removed." 
"This is a larger alliance of the parties to combat the illegal acts by the Chief Election Commissioner at the behest of the Prime Minister and Home Minister. We in the Left feel that this is a juncture where we all have to unite to protect the Constitution of this country. So in this fight, despite the differences, all parties opposed to the NDA have to come together," he added. 
On whether DMK should join the INDIA bloc in its fight against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Brittas said that his party also has differences with Congress in Keralam but they are uniting to "save democracy". 
"Upto DMK to come back to the INDIA bloc. We have differences with Congress in Kerala, but we rise above the differences; this is a question about saving democracy," he said. 
The meeting is expected to witness discussions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in light of recent reports of differences within the Election Commission over the issue.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar is facing flak from the opposition parties following a report by The Indian Express, which said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise and other electoral matters.
However, in its press note issued after the meeting, the ECI stated that the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 12 States and Union Territories was issued on October 27, 2025, while the schedule for 19 States and UTs was issued on May 14, 2026, with the unanimous approval of the Commission.
The Commission also clarified that the letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not connected with any policy matter of the ECI or its IT division but was related to the work of an officer on deputation to the poll body.