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2026 anti-CEC protests

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


2026 anti-CEC protests
Date25 September 2026 – present
Caused by
Goals
  • Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
  • Suspension or rollback of the Special Intensive Revision
  • Return to ballot-paper voting (demanded by some opposition parties)
MethodsMarches, rallies, sit-ins, attempts to reach Jantar Mantar and Election Commission offices
StatusOngoing
Parties to the civil conflict
Units involved
Casualties
Injuries15 cops injured[1]
Detained600+ protesters detained[1]
The Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party have denied allegations of malpractice.

The 2026 protests against the Chief Election Commissioner of India, also referred to in news reports as the anti-CEC protests, are a series of ongoing demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and changes to the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.[2] The protests began in late September 2026 after an investigation in The Indian Express reported that the other two election commissioners had formally objected, on multiple occasions, to decisions connected with the revision. They have brought together opposition parties in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, and student and civil-society groups, with protests in New Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities.[3][4]

Background

Gyanesh Kumar, a retired 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Kerala cadre, became the 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India on 19 February 2025. He had been appointed an election commissioner in March 2024[5] and is the first CEC appointed under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The other members of the three-member commission during the dispute are Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

The SIR's primary objective as an exercise is to revise and verify electoral rolls. According to The Indian Express, the process began in Bihar in June 2025 and was later extended nationally; the newspaper reported that more than 13 crore names had been removed from draft rolls in 30 states and union territories.[3] Opposition parties called the deletions "vote theft," while the ECI and Bharatiya Janata Party said they removed duplicate, deceased, and ineligible entries.[6]

Protests

September 2026

On 24 September 2026, the CJP, that had earlier campaigned for the resignation of the Union education minister, gave Kumar 48 hours to resign and said it would begin nationwide protests if he did not. Its stated demands included his resignation, criminal proceedings, a freeze on upcoming assembly elections, and a rollback of the SIR.[7][8][9]

On 25 September, the Indian National Congress led protests in multiple states calling for Kumar's resignation and, in some statements, his arrest. Police used tear gas and water cannons in places including Chandigarh, Patna, Lucknow and Punjab, and tear-gas shells were reported in Imphal. Demonstrators were detained in several states, including Assam, where state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was detained.[10] Reuters reported protests in at least a dozen states.[11] Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the commission of vote theft; the BJP described the campaign as a reaction to electoral defeat.[12]

On 30 September, leaders of the INDIA bloc, meeting in New Delhi, announced a "Save Democracy March" at district level from 2 to 8 October, a march by opposition members of parliament to the ECI on 6 October, and a later meeting with President Droupadi Murmu. Demands included Kumar's resignation, use of pre-SIR rolls, a return to ballot papers, and an appeal process for excluded voters. Attendees included Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and others.[13][14]

October 2026

Main article: 2026 Mumbai Shivaji Park protests

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced "Protest 2.0" (referring to the 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protests) and "Jail Bharo Andolan" for October 2, 2026, at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and Shivaji Park, Mumbai, aiming to challenge the Election Commission's actions. CJP organized the protest at Shivaji park despite strict legal restrictions under Bombay High Court rulings limit non-sporting and political gatherings at the ground to protect its status as a residential neighborhood and sports complex.[15][16]

Protests on 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti, included a CJP gathering at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, which the BBC described as drawing thousands of mostly young participants. The group said this was the first of a series of October actions ending in a Delhi rally.[17]

Demonstrations continued in Delhi and Mumbai on 3 and 4 October. In Delhi, the All India Students' Association led a march toward Jantar Mantar that was stopped by police barricades on Ashoka Road. The Hindu reported that nearly 500 people were detained on 4 October and taken away in buses; other reports gave a lower detention figure of about 110 for the same day's clashes and said 12 to 15 police personnel were injured. AISA national president Neha Bora was among those detained. A woman journalist covering an earlier day of the protest alleged sexual harassment and manhandling by a policeman; opposition leaders condemned the reported treatment of women journalists.[18][19][20]

In Mumbai on 4 October, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray led a "Virat Garjana Morcha" from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders also taking part. The Hindu reported nearly 6,000 participants. Uddhav Thackeray alleged that about 13 crore voters had been denied the franchise; Raj Thackeray called for the SIR to be cancelled and for ballot-paper voting.[18][20]

On 5 October, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party's demands Kumar's resignation, cancellation of the SIR, and ballot-paper elections were "non-negotiable," and that the party supported civil-society and youth protests. The Supreme Court was scheduled the same day to hear petitions seeking Kumar's suspension and challenging decisions said to have been taken without the concurrence of the other two commissioners.[21][18]

Announced next steps included an opposition MPs' march to the ECI headquarters on 6 October, a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar called Jantar Mantar 2.0 on 10 October, and further INDIA bloc rallies in October and November, including a proposed Delhi rally on 1 November.[14][19]

On 8 October 2026, CJP organized another protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka alongside prominent public figures, actors, and digital commentators, the demonstration featured a "People's Tribunal" and a public "chappal protest" targeting the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the 2026 Indian electoral controversy, regarding disputes regarding voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protestors demanded the scrapping of the SIR process, arguing that it disenfranchised voters and lacked structural transparency, and the resignation of Kumar. The event focused heavily on listening to citizens who claimed their names were wrongfully omitted from electoral databases during the SIR exercise. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, alongside actor-activist Prakash Raj, digital commentator Dhruv Rathee and civil society representatives held a People's Tribunal, addressing a large gathering at Freedom Park under tight security by Bengaluru Police. Leaders raised slogans and criticized election authorities over transparency gaps, urging citizens to safeguard voting rights.[22][23][24]

On the evening of 9 October 2026, Abhijeet Dipke, the leader of the Cockroach Janta Party, was reportedly detained after his flight to Mumbai to Delhi to participate in the protests.[25]

Jantar Mantar 2.0 protests

On October 5, CJP announced protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 10 October 2026, in similar fashion to its previous protests, thus referred to as 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'. Ahead of the protestors, at least a 100 members suspected to participate in the protests were detained with many members receiving calls and house visits in an overnight operation to prevent organization of protest.[26]

At least 200 directed towards Delhi were cancelled or rescheduled, Internet services were shutdown within 4-kilometer radius of Janpath Kartavya Path from 9 October 10:00 PM to 10 October 10:00 PM, 45 metro stations were shutdown, 14,000 police personnel including 4,000 women were deployed on the date and the city was barricaded at strategic locations in multiple layers, and CCTV and face recognition system enabled cameras were reported to be in use.[27][28][29][30] On the date of protest, various key figures organizing the protest were not able to leave their residence or from arrival terminals and arrested on spot including, Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, Ratna Singh, Dhruv Rathee, Neha Bora; political opponents including, Arvind Kejriwal, former Kerala CM, Pinarayi Vijayan, former Tripura CM, Manik Sarkar, former West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee, former Delhi CM, Atishi Marlena, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Brinda Karat, and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas.[31][30][32]

Demands and responses

Opposition parties have demanded Kumar's resignation and the suspension or rollback of the SIR.[33] They also want paper ballots, older voter lists, and an appeal process for excluded voters. Some Congress leaders have called for his arrest, while the CJP has sought a freeze on upcoming elections and criminal case against Kumar.[34][11]

As of early October 2026, Kumar had not publicly responded to the resignation calls. The ECI said its decisions were lawful and unanimous, while the BJP called the protests politically motivated.[35]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Government of Karnataka is currently being headed by the Indian National Congress, and is only working to maintain law and order at Bengaluru Freedom Park.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Delhi Jantar Mantar Stir: 15 Cops Injured, 110 Detained During Clashes". India Today. October 8, 2026. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Gyanesh Kumar: CJP, or Cockroach Janta Party, calls for protests against election chief". BBC News. 2026-10-02. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "14 times in 10 months, two Election Commissioners objected on record to poll panel steps". The Indian Express. 2026-09-23. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  4. ↑ Jamkhandikar, Shilpa; Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (2026-09-25). "Indian police use tear gas against protesters seeking chief election commissioner's resignation". Reuters. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu assumed charge as the Election Commissioners". Press Information Bureau. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mass protests demanding poll chief resignation shake India for third day". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  7. ↑ "There will be protests across India: CJP demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation in 48 hours". India Today. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "India: CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Address Press Conference Amid ECI Dissent Row Over SIR". Reuters. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "CJP's 3 demands after ECI row: Resign, freeze SIR, put on hold upcoming polls". ThePrint. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "Gaurav Gogoi detained during Assam Congress protest demanding CEC's removal". The Hindu. PTI. 2026-09-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sharma, Saurabh (2026-10-04). "Protests intensify in India over demands for election chief to quit". Reuters. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  12. ↑ "Congress leads protests demanding CEC's resignation, arrest". The Hindu. 2026-09-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  13. ↑ "INDIA bloc announces nation-wide protest from Oct 2; demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's ouster". The Hindu Business Line. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Protests against SIR, CEC: Is it time for Congress and INDIA bloc to take a leaf out of CJP's playbook?". The Times of India. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  15. ↑ Sharma, Hitesh. "Delhi Metro shuts 12 stations amid Jantar Mantar protest over SIR, CEC". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
  16. ↑ "CJP to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai on October 2, Dipke challenges CM Fadnavis". The Hindu. 2026-10-01. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
  17. ↑ "Gyanesh Kumar: CJP, or Cockroach Janta Party, calls for protests against election chief". www.bbc.com. 2026-10-02. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "500 detained in Delhi on Day 3 of protests seeking CEC's exit; Thackerays lead Mumbai march". The Hindu. 4 October 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar: 110 detained in Delhi, march held in Mumbai; clashes reported". CNBC TV18. 5 October 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Anti-CEC protests become bigger as thousands hit streets in Mumbai, Delhi". The New Indian Express. 5 October 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  21. ↑ "Kharge calls CEC's resignation, scrapping of SIR, ballot paper polls 'non-negotiable'". National Herald. 5 October 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Prakash Raj, Dhruv Rathee lead Bengaluru CJP protest, demand scrapping of SIR, CEC's resignation". The New Indian Express. 2026-10-08. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  23. ↑ "CJP protest highlights: Bengaluru protest ends; Oct 10 Jantar Mantar stir gets BKU support". Hindustan Times. 2026-10-08. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  24. ↑ "CJP Bengaluru 'Chappal protest' today: After Delhi and Mumbai, Cockroach Janta Party turns to IT city; check timing, venue, demands and other details". The Economic Times. 2026-10-08. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  25. ↑ Hrishikesh, Sharanya; Delhi, Zoya Mateen in (2026-10-10). "Cockroach Janta Party protest Delhi: Group says Abhijit Dipke and Saurabh Das detained ahead of march". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  26. ↑ "Ahead of anti-CEC protest, Delhi Police detains at least 100 with criminal records in overnight operation". The Hindu. 2026-10-10. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  27. ↑ "CEC row updates: CJP leaders accuse govt. of imposing Emergency, 'Even if I am detained, the protest should not end', says Dipke". The Hindu. 2026-10-10. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  28. ↑ "Delhi Police Crackdown: CJP Leaders Detained, Metro Suspended, and Internet Shutdown". Frontline. 2026-10-10. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  29. ↑ "Delhi braces for CJP protest: 45 metro stations shut, trains cancelled, 23,000 security personnel deployed". The Hindu. 2026-10-09. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Anti-CEC protest LIVE updates: CJP to address press meet as protesters detained across Delhi, Mumbai". The Hindu. 2026-10-10. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  31. ↑ "Anti-CEC protest: What happened moments before CJP leaders were detained inside AI 2428". The Hindu. 2026-10-10. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  32. ↑ "Anti-CEC protest in Delhi top developments: detentions, curbs, crackdown". The Hindu. 2026-10-10. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  33. ↑ "Protests held across country demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's ouster, hundreds detained". The Hindu. 2026-10-02. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  34. ↑ Pandey, Geeta; Inamdar, Nikhil (2026-10-02). "Gyanesh Kumar: CJP, or Cockroach Janta Party, calls for protests against election chief". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  35. ↑ "Mass protests demanding poll chief resignation shake India for third day". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-10-05.



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