‘Gyanesh Kumar Deserves Padma Bhushan’: BJP Hits Back Amid Opposition Protests Against CEC | India News

Last Updated:September 25, 2026, 19:01 IST

West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya credited Gyanesh Kumar’s work during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for removing infiltration and intimidation in West Bengal.

West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya expressed support for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (PTI Image)

While Congress leaders are protesting across several cities, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed full support for the poll body chief, saying he deserves the Padma Bhushan.

Speaking to reporters in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya said, “Even the Congress party does not take Rahul Gandhi seriously. At the very least, Gyanesh Kumar deserves the Padma Bhushan.”

Bhattacharya credited Gyanesh Kumar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive for removing infiltration and intimidation ahead of West Bengal elections held this year. “The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay. There were no incidents of murder, and people were actually allowed to cast their votes… The people of West Bengal have rarely witnessed an election like this,” he added.

The BJP’s response came after Congress leaders staged protests across major cities, including Patna and Kolkata, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation after an Indian Express report flagged an “unprecedented rupture” within the Election Commission of India (ECI), with two Election Commissioners raising objections to the conduct of the SIR exercise.

According to the investigation, the two commissioners said some decisions were made without their knowledge and raised concerns over voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and access to the electoral-roll database. The two Commissioners had also written to Cabinet Secretary against “unauthorised” and “illegal” decisions.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections amount to a breakdown within the poll panel. The ECI said differing views and observations are part of institutional deliberations and maintained that decisions taken by the full Commission over the past year, including those concerning the Special Intensive Revision, were unanimous.

BJP Defends Gyanesh Kumar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have led the charge against Kumar, accusing him of compromising the integrity of Indian elections.

However, the BJP accused Opposition parties of levelling “baseless allegations” against the poll body and the government. “The media reports saying that the election commissioners shared differing views in official deliberations is a reflection of pure democracy,” said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh also came out in defence of the SIR exercise, saying there was no evidence to establish that anything had gone wrong. “It is not as if the name of someone who is not a citizen was included illegally; if that had happened, the production of the relevant document would lead to the name being included,” Ghosh said.

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Why are opposition parties demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation?

Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a media report highlighting an unprecedented rupture within the Election Commission of India. Two election commissioners raised objections regarding voter registration, deletions, alterations to Form 6, and decisions made without their knowledge during the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

What is the BJP’s response to the protests and allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar?

The BJP has strongly defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya asserting that he deserves the Padma Bhushan for leading the Special Intensive Revision drive that eliminated intimidation and infiltration during the state elections. The BJP dismissed the opposition’s allegations as baseless, maintaining that differing views within institutional deliberations reflect a pure democracy.

What actions are opposition groups and student organizations taking regarding the ECI controversy?

Opposition parties have staged nationwide demonstrations across major cities such as Patna, Kolkata, and Itanagar, demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, an independent inquiry, and the suspension of upcoming elections. Additionally, student organizations like the AISA held public protests at Jantar Market in New Delhi demanding his arrest, while opposition parties previously initiated moves to bring a removal motion in Parliament.

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Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int…Read More

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