BJP leader defends Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya has expressed strong support for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, stating that Kumar deserves the Padma Bhushan award. This endorsement comes amid widespread protests from Congress leaders across several cities, including Patna and Kolkata, who are demanding Kumar’s resignation following reports of internal dissent within the Election Commission.

Bhattacharya credited Kumar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive for improving the electoral process in West Bengal. He noted that the initiative helped remove names associated with infiltration from voter lists and successfully reduced voter intimidation. According to the BJP leader, the recent elections in the state were characterized by a lack of violence and allowed citizens to cast their votes freely, marking a significant departure from previous electoral cycles.