Hyderabad, Sept. 27 -- Amid opposition demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, Telangana Congress leader Motha Rohit on Sunday alleged that West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya had "openly acknowledged" the CEC's support for the BJP.

Reacting to Bhattacharya's recent remarks in which he praised Kumar's role in the electoral roll revision exercise and said the CEC deserved "at the very least, the Padma Bhushan", Rohit alleged that the statement exposed the BJP's alleged political alignment with the poll panel.

"Bengal's BJP state president, Samik Bhattacharya, has openly acknowledged CEC Gyanesh Kumar's support to the BJP, and...