Mamata vows Opposition unity on demands for removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Mamata vows Opposition unity on demands for removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
M.U.H
27/09/202613
Amidst the call for Opposition unity over the demands for removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (September 26, 2026) said that she will support any party without seeing political colours if there is a common cause for the people.
Speaking at a public meeting at Serampore in Hooghly district, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress chairperson said that the INDIA bloc will hold a meeting in New Delhi on September 30.
Ms. Banerjee said that Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby had written to her about broader Opposition unity against the Chief Election Commissioner, and that she has agreed to the proposal. “Mr. Baby wrote to me. He said that we think this is a big issue. Let’s sit together... I immediately said, ‘Yes, I agree with you. Let’s sit together for a discussion,” the former Chief Minister said.
Ms. Banerjee said that after speaking to Mr. Baby, she has also spoken to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and they are all set to hold a meeting in the national capital next week. She added that many regional parties may also join the meeting.
“Whoever fights for this (SIR/voter rights) cause, we will not see any party or colour, we will see the issue, if that is for the people, we will support them,” Ms Banerjee said from a rally in Serampore in Hooghly district, right outside Kolkata. She said that Opposition parties would fight together for free and fair elections, no matter what their party colour.
A brewing storm
Ms. Banerjee said that at the moment, the whole nation has united against the issue of the CEC’s conduct and that Mr. Kumar’s days are now numbered. “There is a storm in the country, there is a storm in Delhi. To save our democracy, they will be washed away in this storm,” the Trinamool party supremo said.
She added that holding Mr. Kumar accountable is important, but the people behind him must also be brought to justice. Ms. Banerjee has been targeting the head of the Election Commission since the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise began in the State in 2025.
She has also repeatedly targeted Mr. Kumar during the campaign for the Assembly election in the State, calling him ‘Vanish Kumar’, alleging that he was responsible for deletion of names of thousands of voters “Vanish Kumar must go. Our movement will continue until he resigns,” she said.
Despite political differences, the concerns over the SIR process, voter rights, and the Opposition’s demand for accountability on behalf of the Chief Election Commissioner, particularly amidst reports of two other Election Commissioners not being on the same page have brought the Mamata AITC, the CPI(M) and Congress together.
