A Kolkata Congress protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation disrupted traffic in the city centre on Monday as party workers marched towards Lok Bhavan over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The protesters gathered near Esplanade and marched from Lalit Great Eastern Hotel towards Lok Bhavan, the governor’s residence, covering around one kilometre. The procession was stopped near the heavily guarded premises, where police had deployed a large contingent and erected barricades to prevent demonstrators from advancing further.
Congress workers raised slogans against the Chief Election Commissioner and accused the Election Commission of undermining the democratic process through alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision exercise. The allegations were made by the protesters and have not been established as findings by an election authority or court in the material available.
The mobilisation affected vehicular movement in central Kolkata, with commuters reporting major traffic congestion along the protest route. The disruption extended to CIT Road after the Congress organised a sit-in demonstration outside Bidhan Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar said the party would intensify its agitation until Kumar stepped down. The Congress has maintained that the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision process require accountability from the Election Commission and action against those responsible.
The Kolkata protest follows a wider opposition campaign seeking the CEC’s resignation. The Statesman reported that the campaign gained momentum after a report in The Indian Express highlighted disagreements within the Election Commission over aspects of the electoral-roll revision exercise.
According to the report cited by The Statesman, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, mainly concerning decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision process. The disclosures have drawn renewed attention to internal differences within the poll panel, although the supplied report does not provide the Election Commission’s response to the Congress’s allegations.
The Congress also held a sit-in outside Bidhan Bhavan, reiterating its demand for the CEC’s removal. The party’s stated next step is to continue and intensify its agitation over the electoral-roll revision exercise.
