On 2 October 2026, thousands gathered outside Shivaji Park to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) carried out by the Election Commission of India. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for criminal action against him.
Key Developments
- Protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
- Demonstrators held the tricolour, sang patriotic songs and chanted slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Gyanu, it’s done bro”.
- Prominent personalities including actress Shabana Azmi and singer Vishal Dadlani addressed the crowd.
- Police reported an attendance of 4,000‑5,000 people, with 800 officers deployed.
- A 75‑year‑old senior citizen, Gopalakrishna Subbaiya Pillai, suffered a heart attack and died while the protest was ongoing.
Important Facts
The CJP’s demands include:
- Immediate resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and initiation of criminal proceedings to identify the authority behind the SIR.
- Freezing the ongoing SIR and restoring the January 2025 electoral roll.
- Repealing the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and introducing a transparent, civil‑society‑participatory mechanism.
Critics, such as NCP leader Anish Gawande, argue that the SIR has disproportionately affected marginalised groups – for example, flood‑displaced residents of Assam and transgender persons lacking identity documents.
Exam Relevance
The episode touches upon several GS topics:
- electoral rolls and their integrity are core to the functioning of Indian democracy (GS2).
- The role and independence of the ECI and its chief are frequent UPSC questions on constitutional bodies.
- Use of VVPAT and concerns over its reliability link to technology in elections (GS3).
- Emergence of new political formations like the CJP illustrates changing party dynamics (GS2).
- Public protest rights, police response, and potential detention raise issues of civil liberties and law‑and‑order (GS4: Ethics).
Way Forward
For aspirants, it is essential to monitor:
- Any judicial review or parliamentary debate on the legality of the SIR exercise.
- Potential amendments to the 2023 appointment law and proposals for a more transparent selection process for Election Commissioners.
- Impact of the protest on voter‑list accuracy, especially for vulnerable sections, and subsequent policy measures to safeguard inclusivity.
- Developments in the relationship between the ECI and civil society, which could shape future electoral reforms.
Understanding these dimensions will help candidates answer questions on electoral integrity, institutional independence, and democratic participation in the UPSC mains.