Fact Check: No, CEC Gyanesh Kumar Has Not Resigned; Viral Letter Declared Fake

CEC Gyanesh Kumar Resignation Letter Goes Viral: Election Commission Calls It Fake

A purported resignation letter claiming that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu has been circulating on social media. The Election Commission of India (ECI), however, has categorically described the letter as fake. 

The letter was addressed to President Murmu and carried what appeared to be Kumar’s signature. It claimed that the CEC had decided to resign after “deep introspection and deliberation.” However, the Election Commission said that no such resignation letter had been submitted by Gyanesh Kumar and that the document being circulated was fabricated. 

Why Did the Resignation Claim Surface?

The fake letter emerged amid an intense political controversy surrounding the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have been demanding Kumar’s resignation and questioning the functioning of the poll panel. On September 29, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge again demanded Kumar’s immediate removal, alleging irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process. These are political allegations and have been rejected by the Election Commission. 

The controversy intensified after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to certain decisions concerning voter registration, electoral-roll databases and related procedures. The ECI has maintained that its decisions on SIR were taken with the approval of the full Commission and that differences during institutional deliberations are normal. 

ECI Clarification on the Viral Letter

The Election Commission's spokesperson specifically termed the purported resignation letter “fake.” The clarification came after the document was widely circulated on social media, creating speculation that Kumar had stepped down.

Therefore, there is no verified evidence that CEC Gyanesh Kumar sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu. The viral document should not be treated as an authentic resignation announcement. 

Supreme Court Also Takes Up the Controversy

The issue surrounding the CEC's decision-making has also reached the Supreme Court. On September 29, the court agreed to hear next week a petition questioning decisions attributed to Kumar and raising concerns over whether decisions were taken without the concurrence of the other Election Commissioners. The ECI has maintained that its decisions were unanimous. 

Political Pressure Continues

The Congress Working Committee on September 29 passed resolutions demanding Kumar's resignation, suspension of the SIR exercise and greater transparency in electoral-roll changes. The party also called for an independent, time-bound inquiry into alleged irregularities. 

At the same time, the Election Commission has rejected allegations of institutional wrongdoing and defended its handling of the electoral-roll revision process. The resignation claim is therefore separate from the ongoing political and legal dispute and has been officially identified by the ECI as fabricated.