Congress Calls EC's SIR Measures 'Piecemeal', Says Rahul Gandhi's Doubts Vindicated

The Congress on Sunday sharpened its criticism of the Election Commission, describing the poll body's proposed measures on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as an acknowledgement that the exercise has been a "disaster." The party argued that the steps outlined for deleted or at-risk voters would not meaningfully address what it termed mass disenfranchisement.

The Election Commission had on Saturday moved to address concerns raised by two of its commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, following reports of a deep internal divide over SIR-related decisions taken in the past ten months.

Congress MP and communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh said the centrality of the ECINet software to electoral roll preparation, its deletion of eligible voters and the alleged illegal override of Electoral Registration Officers had not been denied. He added that nothing proposed so far substantively addresses these issues.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, speaking to reporters in Keralam, repeated her demand for the immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging political leanings and questioning his ability to conduct fair elections.

Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states also targeted the poll panel, particularly CEC Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that the doubts raised by Rahul Gandhi about the Commission's fairness stood vindicated. Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan said that everything Rahul Gandhi had stated earlier has now been proven true, and accused the CEC of degrading the Election Commission into a body operating in mutual collusion with the BJP. He said the CEC's continued presence in office would further tarnish Indian democracy.

Satheesan also referred to revelations by former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, calling them extremely serious and saying no further evidence was needed to prove that the CEC acted as an agent of the BJP. He said history would record Gyanesh Kumar as the person who pronounced a death sentence on Indian democracy, and that he should not remain in office for even a single moment.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the concerns raised by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over alleged vote theft had turned out to be true. Speaking in Bengaluru, he said the party would discuss its next course of action at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday. He added that the entire country has become aware of the issue and that it is becoming clear the elections were conducted with many irregularities.

CPIM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas wrote to the CEC, raising concerns over the ECI's clarification on Saturday and alleging it raises more questions than it answers. He questioned how an additional mandatory declaration could be introduced through an online portal without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, if Form 6 is a statutory form prescribed under those rules. He also asked whether the reported objections of two Election Commissioners to the change were true, and if so, how they were resolved and whether the Commission's prescribed decision-making procedure was followed. Brittas further asked about citizens who could not submit Form 6 online because they could not furnish the additional declaration.