TMC MP Mahua Moitra Files Police Complaint Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Alleges Voter List Manipulation

Mahua Moitra Files Complaint Against CEC

TMC MP Mahua Moitra on September 24 filed a police complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi.

Moitra accused the CEC of procedural violations, unilateral decision-making and alleged manipulation of electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR-related processes. The allegations are part of a growing political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission.

Allegations of Voter List Manipulation

Moitra alleged that electoral-roll data was manipulated through the Election Commission's information-technology systems while local election officials were allegedly denied adequate access.

She specifically referred to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs), claiming that field-level officials were not sufficiently involved in certain aspects of the process.

These are allegations made by Moitra and the TMC and have not been independently established.

Dispute Over Internal Election Commission Objections

The complaint follows an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and orders connected with electoral-roll procedures.

The reported areas of disagreement included voter additions and deletions, changes involving Form 6 and centralised control of electoral-roll data.

Moitra cited these reported objections as evidence for her claim that certain decisions were not taken collectively by the full Commission.

Form 6 Becomes a Major Point of Contention

Moitra also raised questions about changes to Form 6, which is used for the registration of new voters.

She alleged that a question relating to whether an applicant or their parents or grandparents were linked to the previous SIR was added without the necessary rule changes.

According to reports cited by Moitra, the other two Election Commissioners had objected to the change. The reported objections said that changes to the statutory form required appropriate amendment of the relevant rules.

Moitra Questions Legal Immunity

Another major part of Moitra's complaint concerns the legal protection available to Election Commissioners under Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.

Moitra questioned whether the protection applies in circumstances where, according to her allegations, decisions were taken without the agreement of the other members of the Commission.

Her interpretation of the law is contested and has not been established by a court in relation to the allegations she made against Kumar.

Allegations Related to West Bengal Voter Rolls

Moitra also raised the issue of voter exclusions in West Bengal.

She alleged that around 33 lakh voters were kept out of the electoral roll through appellate procedures that, according to her, lacked proper institutional authorisation.

The allegation is part of the broader Opposition criticism of the SIR process. The claims regarding the reasons for the exclusions and their legality remain disputed.

Election Commission Rejects Interpretation of Internal Differences

The Election Commission has defended its decision-making process following reports about objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi.

The poll panel said that written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks are normal components of institutional deliberations. It maintained that its official orders have legal sanction and that final decisions, including those related to the SIR, were taken unanimously.

The BJP has also rejected the Opposition's interpretation of the reported internal exchanges, with BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra describing differences during institutional deliberations as part of the democratic functioning of the Commission.

Opposition Pressure on CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Moitra's complaint comes amid increasing Opposition pressure on Gyanesh Kumar.

Other Opposition leaders have also called for action against the CEC following the reports about internal disagreements within the Election Commission. Separately, Opposition parties are preparing another notice in Parliament seeking Kumar's removal, according to reports.

The controversy has therefore expanded beyond the SIR exercise to questions about the Election Commission's internal decision-making, electoral-roll management and the legal accountability of its officials.

Key Takeaways

• TMC MP Mahua Moitra filed a police complaint against CEC Gyanesh Kumar on September 24, 2026.

• She alleged procedural violations, unilateral decision-making and manipulation of electoral rolls.

• Moitra cited reports that two Election Commissioners had raised objections multiple times over electoral-roll decisions.

• Changes to Form 6 and the handling of voter-registration data are among the issues at the centre of the dispute.

• She also raised allegations concerning the exclusion of voters from West Bengal's electoral rolls.

• The Election Commission has said internal differences and written observations are part of normal institutional deliberations.

• The ECI maintains that final decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.