Congress leader vows to sustain CEC protest until removal

Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has hardened the party's stance on its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, stating that the protest movement will persist until the senior poll official steps down from his position.

Venugopal said the party would withdraw from the agitation only after Kumar's removal and following concrete steps to overhaul India's electoral system and processes. The Congress has been increasingly vocal about its concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission, alleging partisan conduct in recent electoral exercises.

The Congress leader's declaration underscores deepening tensions between the opposition party and the electoral body, adding to the broader political discourse surrounding the impartiality of India's election management machinery. The party has framed its agitation as part of a larger effort to strengthen democratic institutions rather than a narrow political grievance.

The Congress has not specified a timeline for the proposed agitation or detailed the specific electoral reforms it seeks to implement. Political analysts view the sustained protest as a reflection of the opposition's frustration with poll management in recent state and national elections.