BJP Leader Prakash Reddy Demands Priyank Kharge’s Resignation Over ECI Remarks

Telangana BJP state secretary Prakash Reddy has demanded the immediate resignation of Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge, accusing him of undermining the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the dignity of constitutional institutions through his remarks against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Speaking to the media in Hyderabad on Saturday, Reddy strongly condemned Kharge’s question about where the Chief Election Commissioner was and why he was not responding to allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls. He said it was inappropriate for leaders holding responsible positions to make statements that could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

Reddy accused Congress leaders of deliberately attempting to discredit the Election Commission and argued that Kharge’s remarks had damaged the spirit of the poll body and the honour of the Constitution. He said the Karnataka minister had lost the moral right to continue in office and demanded that he resign immediately.

Meanwhile, Priyank Kharge continued to question the Election Commission’s functioning, citing allegations of voter-list irregularities raised by political parties and citizens across the country. He asked why Gyanesh Kumar had not responded to the concerns and said the INDIA bloc, along with other organisations and individuals, was seeking answers from the poll body.

Kharge alleged that efforts were being made to remove large numbers of voters belonging to specific sections of society from electoral rolls. Referring to reports that two Election Commissioners had expressed dissent, he questioned who was authorising changes or alleged irregularities in Form 6, which is used to apply for inclusion in voter lists.

He also questioned who had permitted the large-scale printing of Form 7, used to object to voter inclusion or seek deletion of names. Further, he sought an explanation for how certain ruling-party organisations were allegedly obtaining machine-readable electoral rolls.

Kharge demanded transparency and accountability over these issues. The controversy has intensified the political debate over electoral-roll management, with the BJP criticising his remarks and the Congress leader pressing the Election Commission to respond to allegations of voter-list manipulation.