Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: The Manipur People's Party joined a national push for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down. The party claims the Election Commission of India has lost its independence. Dr. Seram Rojesh, a party spokesperson, led a group of activists at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on June 2. They were there to back a larger campaign started by the Cockroach Janta Party. Delhi Police moved in quickly. Officers detained protesters from Jantar Mantar and Janpath Road. Rojesh hit back at the police tactics. He said citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble should not be intimidated or subjected to excessive force.
The MPP points to an investigation by The Indian Express to justify their distrust. That report claims Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi fought the poll panel on several key decisions. The MPP wants full transparency and an independent audit of how the commission functions. This push includes major concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The party alleges officials deleted 13 crore voters nationwide. They also claim the rolls in Manipur were rigged to include non-Manipuri voters. The Election Commission insists its revision decisions were unanimous. They are currently reviewing their own voter-roll software.
Rojesh linked these complaints to the long-standing violence in Manipur. He accused the BJP-led government of fostering institutional failure. Gyanesh Kumar took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner on February 19, 2025. Protests occurred in other cities like Mumbai as well. The party is now asking civil society groups to stay active. They want the Centre to restore the credibility of the entire electoral system.
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