NEW DELHI: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain on Monday said that the party could consider strong steps against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, a day after the poll body chief issued an ultimatum to Rahul Gandhi. Asked whether the opposition might bring an impeachment motion against the CEC, Hussain told ANI, “If there is a need, we will use all the weapons of democracy under the rules. We have not had any discussions (about impeachment) as of now, but if needed, we can do anything…”According to sources quoted by ANI, opposition parties may introduce an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during the Monsoon Session.
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The remarks come after a row between Rahul Gandhi and the Election Commission over his allegations of “vote chori” in Karnataka. On Sunday, Gyanesh Kumar dismissed Rahul’s charges as “an insult” to the Constitution, asking him to either submit a signed affidavit or apologise within seven days. “An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option),” Kumar said at a press conference in Delhi.Rahul Gandhi responded by questioning the poll body’s impartiality, pointing to the BJP’s Anurag Thakur. “The Election Commission asks for an affidavit from me. But when Anurag Thakur says the same thing that I am saying, it does not ask for an affidavit from him,” he said. Congress leaders accused the CEC of sounding like a BJP spokesperson. Pawan Khera remarked, “It seemed like BJP was speaking today. Did he give any response about the 1 lakh voters we exposed in Mahadevapura?”Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged large-scale irregularities in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, claiming that more than one lakh votes were “stolen” through duplicate and invalid entries. He also accused the poll body of “destroying evidence” by limiting CCTV footage storage to 45 days.While the CEC insisted that the Election Commission was standing “like a rock” with voters and dismissed the claims as baseless, opposition leaders from the RJD and JMM joined Congress in demanding clarity on Gandhi’s documents and allegations. The confrontation has deepened the stand-off between the Opposition and the poll body, now sharpened by Hussain’s suggestion that “all weapons of democracy” remain on the table.
