Congress chief seeks impartial election body, denies personal vendetta against CEC

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday sought to distance his party from any personal conflict with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, even as opposition parties staged a symbolic impeachment motion against the senior election official in the national capital.

"We have no personal enmity with the CEC," Kharge said during the mock impeachment proceedings, emphasizing that the opposition's concerns centered on institutional functioning rather than individual grievances. The Congress leader reiterated demands that the Election Commission operate with complete neutrality and independence.

The symbolic impeachment was organized by multiple opposition parties in New Delhi as a show of solidarity against what they have characterized as partisan functioning of the electoral body. The gesture underscored growing opposition concerns over the independence and impartiality of India's election management machinery during recent electoral cycles.

Kharge's clarification appears aimed at framing the opposition's challenge as a systemic issue rather than a personal attack, potentially to broaden the appeal of their institutional critique. The Congress chief's remarks reflect the opposition's broader argument that questions about electoral integrity are matters of democratic principle, not political vendetta.