New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday reacted strongly after the Rajya Sabha Chairman rejected the Opposition’s notice of motion seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the decision was not unexpected given past precedents.
“We know what happened to the last Chairman of the Rajya Sabha who accepted a petition moved by Opposition MPs,” Ramesh posted on X while sharing the Rajya Sabha bulletin that announced the rejection of the motion.
The sharp reaction from the veteran Congress leader came shortly after the Rajya Sabha bulletin confirmed that the motion notice, backed by 63 Opposition MPs, was not admitted by the Chairman.
The motion, dated March 12, 2026, had been submitted under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, read with relevant provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
After careful examination, the Chairman exercised his powers under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and refused to admit the notice of motion, effectively halting the proceedings in the Upper House.
A total of 193 MPs (130 from Lok Sabha and 63 from Rajya Sabha) had initially supported the effort, marking the first such impeachment style notice against a Chief Election Commissioner in recent years.
The removal process for a CEC is stringent and similar to that of a Supreme Court judge, requiring a special majority in both Houses of Parliament.
The Chairman’s decision has brought the procedural momentum of the motion to an immediate end in the Rajya Sabha.
The development has intensified the ongoing political debate surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission of India. Gyanesh Kumar, a former IAS officer, took charge as Chief Election Commissioner earlier last year.
Jairam Ramesh’s pointed remark has already gone viral on social media, triggering fresh political exchanges between the ruling and Opposition parties.
(IANS)
