Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, alleging that the country’s electoral system was being undermined. Prabhakar raised the demand while addressing concerns over voter-list revisions. He said electoral rolls must be revised impartially and transparently without excluding any eligible voter.
He said the Congress was holding nationwide protests under the slogan “Save the Vote – Save the Country.” According to him, the campaign sought to emphasise that voting rights were fundamental to democracy.
Prabhakar said the Election Commission was an autonomous constitutional body and had a responsibility to maintain public confidence. Therefore, he called on the commission to address concerns raised by opposition parties and civil society.
He also sought transparency and accountability from the Election Commission and the Central Government. His demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation came amid allegations of political bias against the poll body.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation demand linked to voter concerns
Prabhakar said political parties had raised objections over electoral rolls in West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and other states. He called for a wider debate on voter-list issues in Telangana as well.
He said such a debate should focus on protecting the voting rights of poor people, ordinary citizens and all eligible voters. In addition, he stressed that eligible citizens should ensure their names remained on electoral rolls.
Prabhakar urged the Congress and other political parties to take the “Vote Bachao – Desh Bachao” campaign to the grassroots. He said parties should educate citizens about their voting rights and the importance of checking their names on voter lists.
He also called for greater transparency in addressing objections raised by opposition parties over the electoral process. According to Prabhakar, accountability was necessary to maintain confidence in the system.
The minister said the Congress would continue efforts to bring political parties together to protect voters’ rights. He said the campaign would also focus on safeguarding constitutional democratic values.
Prabhakar linked those concerns to his demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. He maintained that voter-list revisions should remain impartial, transparent and inclusive of every eligible citizen.