Key developments in the ECI row: A timeline
Protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are intensifying following reports of internal dissent within the Election Commission of India. Opposition leaders and activists are demanding his resignation, while the Supreme Court has issued a notice regarding the legality of recent ECI decision-making processes.
Why it matters
The controversy strikes at the heart of the independence and institutional integrity of India's election management body, which is critical for democratic stability.
With an Indian Express report detailing how two Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected 14 times in 10 months to decisions taken by the ECI - some of which they said were taken without their knowledge - the actions of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have come under scrutiny with nationwide protests demanding his resignation intensifying last week.
The Supreme Court, on Monday (October 5, 2026), said that the changes to Form 6 were not made by the court, and issued notice to the ECI and Centre seeking responses in a week on a plea challenging the manner in which the poll panel led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took decisions allegedly without the approval of two Election Commissioners.
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