Opposition MPs submit notices in both Houses seeking motion for removal of CEC Kumar

New Delhi: Opposition MPs have submitted notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, sources said on Friday. As many as 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs have signed the notice, a source said. The signatories include members from all the INDIA bloc parties, the source said, including the Aam Aadmi Party, which has also backed the move despite no longer being formally part of the opposition alliance, the source said. Some independent MPs have also signed the notice, and several others have expressed interest in joining the initiative, the source added. This is the first time a notice has been moved seeking the removal of the CEC. According to sources, the notice lists seven charges against Kumar, including alleged "partisan and discriminatory conduct in office", "deliberate obstruction of investigation of electoral fraud" and "mass disenfranchisement." The opposition parties have accused the CEC of aiding the ruling BJP on several occasions, especially with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they alleged aims to help the saffron party at the Centre.