Visakhapatnam protesters demand removal of India's chief election commissioner

Opposition parties and civic organisations held a march and hunger strike in Visakhapatnam on October 10, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Participants walked from the Gurajada statue near the RTC Complex to a hunger strike camp by the Gandhi statue outside the GVMC municipal office. Congress, Left parties, AAP, trade unions and student organisations were represented.

Andhra Intellectual Forum founder-president Chalasani Srinivas said public confidence in elections depended on an independent and transparent Election Commission. He accused its leadership of favouring the governing BJP and demanded a change of chief commissioner.

CPI representative J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy criticised the commission's response to Rahul Gandhi's allegations about electoral rolls in Mahadevapura. Local CPI(M) secretary M. Jaggunaidu raised concerns over the intensive revision of voter lists in Bihar.

Speakers appealed for Supreme Court intervention to protect the commission's autonomy. Claims of electoral irregularities and political bias were allegations made by protest organisers. The Hindu and The Hans India reported the demonstration but did not establish those accusations through their own investigations.