A fresh legal challenge has been brought before the Supreme Court against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, marking the third such petition filed in the apex court challenging his administrative actions. The latest plea directly questions the validity of 14 distinct orders issued by the head of the poll body over the past 10 months, explicitly praying that each of these directives be declared null and void. Beyond seeking the quashing of these specific decisions, the petition also urges the court to lay down explicit guidelines and clarifications concerning the legitimate limits and scope of the Election Commission's authority in conducting free and fair elections.
Allegations Over Collective Decision-Making Norms
This third petition before the top court has been moved by Priya Mishra. The petition contends that mandatory statutory provisions governing collective decision-making were bypassed while formulating administrative outcomes. It seeks the invalidation of all judgments, notifications, official orders, and executive directives that were allegedly issued in breach of this established collaborative procedure. Furthermore, the plea requests a binding judicial direction compelling the poll body to strictly adhere to Article 324 of the Constitution alongside its governing statutory framework whenever arriving at future determinations. This follows two previous petitions registered before the court on related issues by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi and social activist Rakesh Kumar Singh.
Opposition Strategy and 40-Day Action Roadmap
Alongside the legal contest in the top court, political opposition to the Chief Election Commissioner has also intensified. A major strategy conclave of the opposition alliance was convened in New Delhi on Thursday, placing the SIR controversy and Gyanesh Kumar at the center of deliberations. The meeting lasted for three hours and drew senior leaders from across 20 political parties, including Rahul, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Omar Abdullah, and Supriya Sule. Discussions centered on reinforcing internal coordination while finalizing a political roadmap spanning the next 40 days. The participating parties resolved to initiate an agitation against the Election Commission, with all attending formations unitedly demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav, however, did not attend the gathering.
Ruling Coalition Targets Opposition Divisions
The opposition conclave drew sharp criticism and swift political counters from the ruling alliance. Leading figures targeted the notable absences from the meeting. OP Rajbhar, an alliance partner in the Uttar Pradesh government, challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain why his political ally Akhilesh Yadav remained absent, remarking that with Rajya Sabha nominations open until October 6, there was no pressing urgency to file papers earlier instead of attending the meeting. Concurrently, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticized the alliance's internal dynamics, stating that regardless of how many times efforts are made to present Rahul Gandhi as the frontrunner, the wider opposition bloc remains unprepared to acknowledge his leadership.
