# EC dissent row: CJP calls for reforms, opposition demands CEC removal 2026-09-24T06:17:23+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 6 independent outlets Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced demands for his removal after an Indian Express report revealed two Election Commissioners recorded formal objections at least 14 times in 10 months during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, described several decisions as unauthorised and illegal, and separately wrote to the cabinet secretary about changes in work allocation that removed oversight of the IT backbone. The Cockroach Janta Party cancelled its programmes and announced a press conference on the 'Hijacking of India's Democracy'. The Election Commission defended its processes, saying all decisions were unanimous and that internal notes give only one part of the picture. Opposition parties called for Kumar's impeachment and fresh elections in multiple states. The BJP defended the commission, saying divergent views during internal deliberations reflect democratic functioning. The Supreme Court referred petitions challenging the 2023 law governing appointment of election commissioners to a larger bench, with one judge comparing the selection panel to an umpire chosen by the winning cricket captain. The full commission did not meet for four months between May and August 2026 while the SIR was being rolled out. The CJI will constitute a constitution bench to hear the challenge to the appointment law. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Election Commission's defensive statement, that highlighting internal notes gives only one part of the picture, sidesteps the core issue raised by the commissioners' letters to the cabinet secretary: the body did not meet for four months during a major roll revision. Pro-government framing calls this normal deliberation, but the dissenting commissioners described several decisions as unauthorised and illegal. The opposition's demand for removal and the Supreme Court judge's cricket umpire analogy both question whether the appointment process itself can produce an independent commission. The cabinet secretary letters, not the formal dissent notes, are the most concrete evidence of the government's leverage over the purported independent body. The CJI will now decide the constitution bench that hears the challenge to the appointment law. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (sensationalist) Sensationalist framing: led with CJP's colourful quote, dramatised 'Hijacking' - thehindu.com (neutral report) Neutral live coverage with balanced quotes from all sides - livemint.com (neutral report) Explainer format: straight procedural reporting on EC functioning - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Identical text to SOURCE-4, likely a syndicated or accidental duplicate - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Identical text to SOURCE-4, likely a syndicated or accidental duplicate - nationalheraldindia.com (government critical) Government-critical: questioned why commissioners wrote to cabinet secretary, highlighted four-month gap - timesnownews.com (government critical) Focused on SC judge's strong criticism of appointment law using cricket analogy Tags: Election Commission of India, Gyanesh Kumar, Indian Express, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Supreme Court of India, Vivek Joshi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/opposition-seeks-cec-removal-as-election-commissioners-dissent-on-roll-revision/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/opposition-seeks-cec-removal-as-election-commissioners-dissent-on-roll-revision/#story-in-brief