Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila Reddy on Saturday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting in favour of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded his resignation.

Speaking after participating in a protest rally, Ms. Sharmila alleged that nearly 13 crore votes had been removed across the country, describing the alleged deletions as a serious attack on the constitutional right to vote. She alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI), which was constitutionally responsible for conducting free and fair elections, had been compromised and was functioning under the influence of the BJP.

Ms. Sharmila alleged that votes were being added or deleted selectively for political purposes, claiming that “bogus votes” were created when required and voters were removed when their votes were considered unnecessary. She said the alleged deletion of 13 crore votes amounted to around 14 % of the country’s electorate.

Describing the CEC as a “BJP worker” and “Modi’s agent,” Ms. Sharmila alleged that his appointment undermined the independence of the electoral process. She urged the citizens to defend their voting rights.

The Congress leader demanded that the CEC resign or be suspended, followed by an inquiry into his decisions. The State Congress president also demanded that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah also resign, alleging that they should bear responsibility for the claimed irregularities.