Hans News Service Tirupati

Congressleaders demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday, accusing himof betraying democratic and constitutional values.

The protest in Tirupati was part of a nationwide agitation organized to oppose the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

Congress workers and local leaders took out a spirited rally starting from the Vivekananda statue and marching toward the Municipal Corporation office.

Carrying effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CEC Gyanesh Kumar, protesters raised slogans against the poll panel and attempted to burn the effigies, though police swiftly intervened to stop them.

Speaking during the demonstration, Tirupati Urban District Congress president Gowdapera Chittibabu asserted that the CEC must step down for acting against democratic principles.

He alleged that the ongoing SIR process has resulted in the wrongful deletion of lakhs of eligible voters, particularly targeting weaker sections, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities.

Senior leaders, including Mangati Gopal Reddy, Sivasankar, Nanne Khan, and Siva Balaji, joined the protest.

They criticized the Election Commission, claimingit has become partial and alleging that other commissioners had repeatedly raised objections to one-sided decisions.

Police maintained a heavy security presence throughout the demonstration to prevent any escalation.