Keralam CM Satheesan joins the chorus of political leaders calling for the CEC’s resignation
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following allegations that Kumar previously attempted to recruit a former official into the BJP. The controversy centers on claims that Kumar has compromised the neutrality of the Election Commission of India.
Why it matters
The integrity of the Election Commission is foundational to Indian democracy, and such high-level allegations threaten public trust in the electoral process.
Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on Sunday (September 27, 2026) joined the seemingly growing chorus of political leaders in Keralam demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a statement, Mr. Satheesan said that former Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson’s revelation that Mr Gyanesh Kumar had sought to persuade him to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 and contest on the party ticket from the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency has raised worrying questions about the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s political even-handedness and neutrality.
“Mr Gyanesh Kumar has operated recurrently as the BJP’s agent, compromising the ECI’s public credibility. He has lost the moral and constitutional right to continue in office and should step down immediately”, Mr. Satheesan demanded.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in