New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman have rejected the opposition’s notice for proposal to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after “careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects and issues”, which is bound to deepen the acrimony between the ruling NDA and its opponents amid their campaign for the five assembly elections.130 LS and 63 RS members of the opposition parties – more than required under the rules – had filed notices in their respective Houses on March 13, specifically demanding the ouster of Kumar for his alleged biased and discriminatory conduct in the SIR drive.“After due consideration of the notice of motion and careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects and issues involved therein, the Speaker (Om Birla) in exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, has declined to accept the said notice of motion,” a Lok Sabha bulletin said.RS issued a similar bulletin on behalf of president CP Radhakrishnan. Although the bulletin did not specify the grounds for rejection, officials said it was a common practice.The notice, signed by members of the opposition India Bloc and some other BJP rivals like AAP, had the required support – that is at least 100 Lok Sabha and 50 Rajya Sabha MPs.Parliament is scheduled to meet for three days on April 16 to consider bills related to the implementation of women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from the 2029 general elections, and the rejection of the opposition’s move against the CEC is expected to trigger a fresh round of confrontation between the two sides.While Congress’s Jairam Ramesh in a cryptic post said, “We know what happened to the previous Rajya Sabha Speaker who accepted the petition filed by opposition MPs”, TMC’s Derek O’Brien said, “Ah! I told you so. Notice for removal of CEC ‘Vanish Kumar’ rejected by Rajya Sabha MPs. Reason? No reason given. BJP keeps making mockery of our great Parliament.”If the opposition party, especially TMC which was at the forefront in garnering support for the notice, raises this issue in its election campaign to press its claim of constitutional institutions being allegedly compromised under the BJP, then the ruling party will mark the issue as a sign of support to the functioning of the CEC from the Speakers of Parliament.Following the move by Congress to file a notice for Birla’s removal, which was accepted and defeated by voice vote in the Lok Sabha, TMC is believed to have prompted the main opposition party to join it in taking a similar step against Kumar.