Gyanesh Kumar: Why the BJP is in a catch-22 situation - The HinduUpdated - October 10, 2026 03:02 pm IST(This is the latest edition of the Political Line newsletter curated by Varghese K. George. The Political Line newsletter is India’s political landscape explained every week. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox every Friday.)For the ruling party, removing Dharmendra Pradhan was politically manageable, but with Gyanesh Kumar, things are different. Either retaining or losing him has risksIn July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP knew that giving in to the demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan might end one crisis, but would also set the next into motion. That was the reason for the reluctance to sacrifice Mr. Pradhan. The next moment of crisis is upon the Modi government as the Opposition mounts pressure for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.Technically speaking, the continuation or exit of Mr. Kumar has nothing to do with the Modi government. In reality, it is all about the Modi government: its political and administrative implications, and its optics. If asking Mr. Pradhan to go was tough, asking Mr. Kumar to go is tougher for the government. Here’s why.Mr. Pradhan was the target not only of the youth protestors, but also of the upper-caste lobby within the BJP. An OBC leader, Mr. Pradhan was blamed for the UGC guidelines that sought to expand the anti-discrimination regime in universities. His exit was celebrated by large segments of the upper-caste supporters of the BJP. Mr. Pradhan followed no policy of his own, as education is a sector that is strictly overseen by the RSS, the BJP, and the higher-ups within the government. Still, he paid the price. He could be sacrificed for the larger interests of the party, without much political cost to Mr. Modi or the BJP.In Mr. Kumar’s case, it is vastly different, though there is no direct decision for the government or the Prime Minister to make with regard to his removal. He cannot be sacked by the government, and can only be impeached through a parliamentary process. Still, if the BJP or the Prime Minister wants him to quit office, Mr. Kumar will do so. His continuation is completely dependent on the political calculations of the BJP, and the BJP is caught between conflicting considerations. It is a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.His exit and continuation will both have significant political costs for the Modi government. If Mr. Kumar is forced to quit, that will be a message for all the officers who struggle to balance adhering to rules and following the wishes of the political executive. It is not that the bureaucracy of India has not danced to the tune of political masters, but the current BJP establishment is testing its limits. If Mr. Kumar is thrown under the bus, that will have a ripple effect within the bureaucracy. That effect will be felt everywhere, but most consequentially in the running of elections. Whoever comes after Mr. Kumar will have no reason to be as convenient as the ECI has been for the BJP in recent years.But what if Mr. Kumar is allowed to continue as CEC? Would he try to prove his critics wrong and seek to establish his impartiality? Even assuming that he wants to remain partisan, as he is accused of being, would he be able to do that in the next election cycle? If he cannot, what use is there in facing public ire in defence of him?These are the questions that trouble the BJP in its calculations about Mr. Kumar. Its public positions so far are in favour of him, and some groups adjacent to the party are also taking out processions hailing him as the saviour of the Hindus! The BJP also calculates that the protest has not become popular enough to corner it into taking a decision, as happened in Mr. Pradhan’s case. But all said, there is no good decision for the BJP to take on this one. And even if he moves out, the BJP cannot feel assured of a return to its legitimacy and authority.Federalism Tract: Notes on DiversityWest Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised stringent laws to check “love jihad,” “land jihad,” and religious conversion once the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is implemented in the State. The State constituted a committee in July this year to examine the draft UCC and has already formulated a Draft Bill. BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh have already passed the UCC, while draft bills are being prepared in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.A coalition of civil society organisations of Manipur termed Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s description of the Manipur conflict and his emphasis on dialogue as coming from an inadequate understanding of the security scenario in which armed extremist groups are involved. The Union Minister at a conclave in New Delhi described the ongoing Manipur conflict as communal and urged dialogue among the Kuki, Meitei, and Naga communities to achieve lasting peace. The conflict, which began in 2023, has left more than 60,000 people homeless and 306 dead in its wake.The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has yet to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, which expired last month. The new agreement on “re-negotiated terms and conditions or ground rules” was signed on September 4, 2025, between MHA, the Manipur Government, and the Kuki-Zo groups. It mandates halting the military offensive between Indian security forces and Kuki-Zo groups. Government sources said that the pact is in abeyance till all weapons are surrendered by the Kuki-Zo groups. Meitei and Naga civil society groups, including Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, have demanded the abrogation of the SoO pact.The inclusion of Hindi place names on State Highways in the Thoothukudi district has once again brought the issue of Hindi imposition to the forefront in Tamil Nadu. DMK chief Stalin posted on X: “Until now, Tamil Nadu was only facing the Union government’s Hindi imposition. Now, the State government itself is doing that job.” Offering clarification on the controversy, Tamil Nadu Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna stated the two-language policy is a vital principle of his party, and added that the officials responsible for the mistake have been suspended.Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that Hindi signage on highways cannot be treated as Hindi imposition, and maintained that Tamil Nadu is committed to the two-language policy. Congress is currently part of the ruling alliance in the State.A new petition in the Supreme Court has termed the six-stanza Vande Mataram a “divisive religious war song.” It urged the court to direct that only the two-stanza standalone version of Vande Mataram be sung as the National Song. The Central government orders dated January 28 and July 9 mandated that all six stanzas of the song be sung at public events.A bouncer’s collective in Hyderabad alleged discrimination and denial of work to Muslim bouncers at Dandiya events during the Dasara Navratri. Dandiya, once confined to western India, is increasingly part of celebrations throughout the country. But the celebrations often find themselves at the centre of controversy over calls for a boycott of Muslims from the events.A Division Bench of the Madras High Court (Madurai) has said organisations involved in conversion shall be denied registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA). The court was hearing an appeal by Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust, whose author is an ordained Christian priest, Rev. Fr. Ama Samy SJ, seeking a certificate of registration under FCRA. The trust submitted that it has established a Zen Meditation Centre and its activities cannot be labelled as religious. The bench said, “One cannot forget the fact that Christianity is a messianic religion. Their theological and religious mission is to bring everyone within the fold of Jesus Christ. There is a saying ‘a leopard will not change its spots’. Unlike Hinduism which is inclusive, the Abrahamic religions are inherently exclusive.”Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) has alleged that the State Bank of India’s digital banking software prevents Christians from selecting the ‘Scheduled Tribe (ST)’ option. In a letter to SBI’s regional manager in Itanagar, ACF functionaries warned of agitations if the public sector bank did not make the required technical corrections within 15 days. ACF points out that tribal status in Arunachal Pradesh was not contingent on religious affiliation under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950.Published - October 10, 2026 07:25 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }