The Keralam Legislative Assembly on Monday (October 12, 2026) passed a resolution seeking the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and steps to improve transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Opposition CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) supported the resolution moved by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) objected to the contents of the resolution and proposed amendments, but they were rejected.

The House expressed deep concern over the accusations levelled against the ECI, while observing that free, transparent and impartial elections and universal adult franchise constitute the basis of Indian democracy. “Given the circumstances where serious doubts have been raised about the impartiality of the ECI, it is imperative that steps be taken to remove the CEC to restore the credibility of the institution,” the resolution said.

It urged the Centre and the ECI to address the defects in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and restore voting rights to all eligible voters. It wanted the Centre and the ECI to take steps to remove Mr. Gyanesh Kumar as CEC, and restructure the panel selecting the CEC by including the Chief Justice of India alongside the Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha Opposition Leader.

“Complaints have emerged that crores of eligible voters have been excluded from the electoral rolls without following any proper criteria or informing them in advance. Snatching away the right to vote of marginalised sections, minorities, migrant labourers and young voters through technical chicanery and defects constitutes a flagrant breach of democratic principles,” the resolution said.

“The gravity of the situation is further compounded by reports that the powers of the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to prepare the voters’ list were diluted, that amendments were made to Form 6, and that the two other Election Commissioners had objected to ECI decisions. Aberrations in the electoral roll are tantamount to undermining the people’s mandate,” the resolution said.

“The Central government also destroyed the credibility of the ECI as an institution by transforming the CEC selection committee into one in which it had a majority. The Supreme Court had ordered that the panel should include the Chief Justice of India. Only an impartial panel that consists of the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and the CJI can pick Election Commissioners who are independent. Therefore, steps should be taken to restructure this panel,” the resolution said.

Four members proposed amendments and additions to the resolution.

The Chief Minister initially rejected all the proposals on the grounds that they did not conform to the spirit of the document. However, he accepted one where Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan suggested that part of a sentence “lakhs of eligible voters were excluded from the electoral roll” be replaced with “crores” as that was the case across the country.

BJP Parliamentary Party leader B. B. Gopakumar questioned the legality of the 2026 Assembly elections and sought their cancellation and the dissolution of the Assembly. It was rejected.

 

Left parties condemned the continued police action against protesters in Delhi on Sunday (October 11, 2026), which saw Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) get injured as police detained and forcibly dragged him to a detention van while he was speaking to the media. 

Mr. Brittas was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was visited by CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby.

“The police have turned Delhi into a war zone,” Mr. Baby said, adding that scores of activists from the party’s student wing, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), including its president Adarm M. Saji and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader Jaick C. Thomas, were assaulted inside police vehicles. “They have turned police vans into torture camps. Women are being cruelly attacked and detained for hours inside mobile jails,” Mr. Baby said. 

The clampdown will not stop the protests, Mr. Baby asserted, saying, “[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, [Union Home Minister]Amit Shah, and [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief] Mohan Bhagwat must not be under the impression that unleashing state repression will kill the movement to oust [Chief Election Commissioner] Gyanesh Kumar. The students and the youth are fighting to save our democracy.” he said.

Mr. Brittas, who continues to be under treatment as of Sunday (October 11, 2026) evening, said in a post on X: “Even if we are dragged through the streets, beaten with lathis, trampled with boots, or choked to death, we will not step back even an inch. We will forge ahead until victory in this protest to reclaim the democracy of our nation!” 

Mr. Brittas in a letter marked to President of India, Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman, said, that the timing of the “brutal police assault” on him was significant, considering it occurred within hours of the Supreme Court’s directions to the administration on protests. “The incident raises grave questions concerning personal liberty, the right to peaceful expression, police accountability and compliance with the constitutional safeguards that this Hon’ble Court has time and again upheld and reaffirmed through its authoritative judgments,” he wrote. The demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation is being made through democratic means, he said, adding, “Neither these demands nor the criticism of public institutions can be treated as a licence for the State to resort to intimidation.”

Annie Raja detained

Communist Party of India national secretary Annie Raja was detained while on her way to meet student activists associated with the party. Several detainees, she said, required medical attention, but she was not allowed to meet them. 

CPI general secretary D. Raja said that the police crackdown seen on the roads of Delhi over the last few days was unprecedented. “All detainees must be immediately released and the government must withdraw all FIRs filed against them,” he said. 

The Delhi Police have denied permission for the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, citing alleged non-compliance with conditions agreed to during an earlier demonstration, Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Nupur Prasad said on Friday (October 9, 2026), a day before the proposed protest.

“Because of not following the conditions as part of undertaking during the past protest, this time the permission has been denied,” Ms. Prasad said.

The decision comes two days after CJP co-convener Saurav Das submitted an intimation letter to the Delhi Police on October 7, informing them of the planned demonstration and seeking arrangements for law and order and traffic management. The protest is scheduled for Saturday (October 10).

The official said that the permission was sought in the last minute while as per rules it should be sort atleast 10 days before the protest.

The CJP had maintained that it was informing the police rather than seeking permission, arguing that Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site and that the police should facilitate a peaceful gathering. Mr. Das had submitted the letter at Parliament Street police station and received an acknowledgement, according to the organisers.

The October 10 demonstration has been called by the CJP and student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), amid protests over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The organisers are demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the revision exercise and reforms to the process of appointing Election Commissioners.

The proposed protest follows a series of demonstrations in Delhi against the SIR exercise and the CEC. The CJP had also organised a mobilisation in July over the NEET-UG paper leak, which led to confrontations between protesters and security personnel.

The police have been scrutinising proposed demonstrations following the July protest. In the run-up to the October 10 gathering, the Crime Branch registered a fresh FIR to investigate the alleged involvement of 2,873 people with criminal records who were flagged during the July 20 CJP protest. The investigation is also examining whether the violence during the demonstration was pre-planned or whether people with criminal antecedents joined the protest.

The denial of permission comes amid heightened restrictions on demonstrations in central Delhi. The police have said that organisers must obtain prior permission for protests at Jantar Mantar and that applications should ordinarily be submitted at least 10 days in advance.

The CJP’s proposed demonstration on October 10 is part of the continuing campaign against the SIR exercise, which has drawn opposition from political parties and student groups over concerns about electoral roll revisions and alleged exclusions. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls.

At least two fresh FIRs have been registered against Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with the INDIA bloc’s protest in central Delhi on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) against the revision of electoral rolls and demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Delhi Police sources said.

CEC row LIVE: October 8, 2026

The latest cases relate to allegations of assaulting and obstructing police personnel deployed during the protest and damaging a police vehicle, a police source close to the matter told The Hindu. The police are also registering another case over the staging of an unauthorised protest.

The FIRs are separate from the cases registered following the INDIA bloc’s protest on Tuesday (October 6, 2026). Police had earlier booked Opposition leaders in connection with the previous demonstration, including over forcible entry (or criminal trespass) into Akashvani Bhavan.

The fresh cases were registered after a police constable deployed for crowd control alleged that he was surrounded and assaulted by protesters during Wednesday’s (October 7, 2026) demonstration.

The constable, identified as Ankit Kasana and posted with the Parliament Police, told the police that a group of around 30 to 35 protesters, including men and women, surrounded him while the police were trying to manage the crowd during Mr. Gandhi’s detention. He alleged that the protesters abused him, tore his uniform and attacked him with their fingernails and teeth.

Mr. Kasana was subsequently taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a medical examination.

“The FIR was lodged after the statement of the personnel who were assaulted during the protest,” a police official said.

Police alleged that protesters damaged a police vehicle, smashing its windows, during Wednesday’s (October 9, 2026) demonstration, while Congress workers punctured the tyre of a bus carrying detained protesters.

Wednesday’s action came after another day of confrontation between the Opposition and the Delhi Police over the INDIA bloc’s campaign against the revision of electoral rolls. The Opposition parties have been demanding the removal of Mr. Kumar, alleging that the electoral roll revision process is being carried out without adequate safeguards and transparency. The Election Commission has rejected the Opposition’s allegations.

On Wednesday (October 7, 2026), Mr. Gandhi, Ms. Vadra and around 80 other leaders were detained by the New Delhi police after the protesters gathered in the Jantar Mantar area. The police pushed the protesters into buses and took them away.

Congress workers allegedly punctured a tyre of one of the buses being used to transport the protesters. Videos of the incident went viral on social media platforms. Mr. Gandhi was subsequently moved to another bus and taken to a police station on Barakhamba Road, where he remained in detention for several hours before being released.

Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal, Pawan Khera, A.A. Rahim and Sivadasan were among those detained along with the Gandhis.

A senior police official said the force had observed a growing pattern of “competition” among organisations staging protests, with groups increasingly seeking to make their demonstrations more dramatic and attract greater attention. “There is now a competition between the various organisations staging protests to make them more dramatic and damage public property to get more attention,” the official said.

Another INDIA bloc protest has been planned for Thursday (October 8, 2026), prompting the Delhi Police to reinforce security arrangements across central Delhi. Barricades have been placed at several points and additional personnel deployed at locations expected to witness gatherings.

Police officials said those found violating the law during Thursday’s demonstration would be detained and cases registered.

The successive protests have resulted in major traffic restrictions and heightened police presence in the heart of the capital.

The INDIA bloc’s request for an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to apprise her of its concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) has so far drawn a blank. Opposition leaders had suggested that only a select delegation would meet the President, keeping in mind the protocol associated with the country’s highest constitutional office, and had conveyed multiple dates for the meeting. However, according to sources, they are yet to receive any response from the President’s office.

Keep track | CEC row LIVE: Rahul Gandhi’s ‘They cannot stop our will’ message after Jantar Mantar protest

Proposed three dates

According to sources, INDIA bloc leaders suggested that the meeting be scheduled on either October 7, 8 or 9, providing sufficient notice for senior leaders to travel to Delhi. They proposed a 15-member delegation, with one representative from each of the grouping’s top 15 constituent parties.

Sources said the President’s office had informally conveyed that the delegation should be limited to 10 members. The INDIA bloc leader coordinating with the President’s Secretariat said the Opposition had agreed to this condition as well, but had still not heard from Ms. Murmu’s office.

Brittas’ letter

Meanwhile, a letter written by CPI(M) MP John Brittas to President Murmu on September 23 seeking urgent constitutional intervention in the ECI’s special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, received a response on Wednesday.

In his letter, Mr. Brittas had sought the President’s intervention on the SIR controversy, the unhindered progress of the pending proceedings for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, and the Union government’s support before the Supreme Court for declaring the SIR “void ab initio” and annulling it.

On Wednesday (October 7, 2026), the President’s Secretariat forwarded the petition to the Legislative Department and marked a copy to Mr. Brittas, describing the petition as “self-explanatory” and directing that the action taken be communicated to him.

“The petition is self-explanatory. The constitutional questions it raises cannot be wished away. The only appropriate course now is for Gyanesh Kumar to quit forthwith,” Mr. Brittas said.

A two day visit of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and a couple of senior officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to Chhattisgarh has been postponed due to “unavoidable reasons”, according to a government order issued on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).

Mr Kumar — who is facing criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — and the fellow ECI officials were scheduled to travel from Delhi to Chhattisgarh for the visit spanning October 7 and 8.

“It is informed that the Commission [ECI] has postponed the Chhattisgarh visit programme of Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner, and other senior officials of the Commission, due to unavoidable reasons.The revised date of the visit will be communicated separately once it is received from the Commission,” the letter issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Chhattisgarh.

The letter also mentioned that Mr Kumar was declared a State Guest during his visit to Chhattisgarh on October 7 and 8, 2026, and instructions were issued for making the necessary protocol arrangements for him. It is learnt that the CEC’s schedule included visits to revered temples of Goddess Danteshwari in Dantewada and Bhoramdeo in Kabirdham, as well as the Chitrakoot water fall in Bastar district.

A Delhi court has granted bail to 17 students and journalists who were taken into police custody on Monday and sought a report from Delhi Police on allegations of “custodial torture” levelled by two protesters.

Judicial Magistrate Animesh Kumar of the Patiala House Courts issued four separate bail orders on Monday night. The arrested persons were protesting outside the Parliament Street police station earlier in the day, demanding registration of an FIR against a police officer accused of molesting a woman journalist during a protest in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Unlawful assembly

Delhi Police had registered a case against the 17 accused, alleging that they were part of an unlawful assembly, obstructed a public area, roughed up police personnel and caused damage to public property.

Acknowledging the gravity of the allegations, the court pointed out that while any person has the right to protest peacefully, assaulting police officers on duty is a matter of serious concern<NO> which cannot be permitted under the garb of peaceful protest.

In its order, the court said, “It should be noted that allegations against the accused are serious in nature. One police official has allegedly sustained injuries as per the medico-legal case (MLC) produced by the IO.”

It, however, took into account the age of the accused. The judge said the allegations against the accused were “serious” in nature but they were not “habitual offenders”. The counsel for the accused had argued that some of the arrested persons had sustained injuries.

CCTV footage

“However, their medico-legal cases were not conducted immediately after the incident,” the court noted. It added, “Since the accused Dharmender and Samarth have levelled allegations regarding custodial torture, let a report be called from DCP New Delhi regarding the same. The relevant CCTV footage of the Parliament Street police station be preserved.”

The judge cited that their careers were still ahead of them and, hence, bail was justified on the facts of the case.

The police had sought 14 days of judicial custody for the arrested persons. It also argued that they might commit further offences or tamper with the investigation.