Congress Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation Amid SIR Dissent Row

The Congress on Thursday intensified its attack over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging that young voters are being deliberately targeted for exclusion.

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the demand followed revelations about the manner in which the CEC has, in his words, destroyed the integrity, credibility and competence of the Election Commission. He alleged that the entire SIR exercise had been handed over to the ECINet software, which he blamed for a "disastrous" third phase that deleted or flagged 54 per cent of voters in Delhi and nearly 12 crore across all States.

Citing the case of Goa, Mr. Ramesh said the State's Chief Electoral Officer wrote to the Election Commission eight times in seven days seeking the inclusion of valid voters deleted by the software, with Electoral Registration Officers confirming their validity. The emails, he said, were ignored and the voters deleted.

He described the restriction of EROs' access to the ECINet software as an illegal and centralising move, noting that under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the ERO holds statutory authority over the electoral roll. He also flagged the two Election Commissioners writing to the Cabinet Secretary over the alleged violation, and said the process for adding new voters through Form 6 had been made more difficult.

Mr. Ramesh alleged that Gen Z is being targeted for exclusion and that the election process has been thoroughly compromised. He said each fresh piece of evidence confirmed what Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has been saying for nearly two years, since the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly election results. Accusing the CEC of implementing what he called the Method of Disenfranchising Indians, he said Mr. Kumar must resign immediately if he has any decency left, and that the Prime Minister and Home Minister would thereafter be held accountable.

The remarks came a day after a report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the past ten months to decisions they said were taken without their knowledge, even as the national rollout of the SIR was under the supervision of the full commission. Their objections covered the amendment of Form 6, the handling of additions and deletions from voter lists, and centralised control over the electoral roll database.

Responding to the red flags, the Election Commission asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution, and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures. It added that not only the three commissioners but every officer of the panel is authorised to offer suggestions for improving the electoral system.

Separately, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded that the CEC be criminally prosecuted for treason, alleging that he intentionally allowed an unfair election by deleting around 13 crore voters. Speaking to reporters in Wayanad, she said anyone who plays around with the democratic process commits treason against the nation, and questioned why the CEC should enjoy legal protection if illegal acts were committed. She said the CEC was fully aware of what was happening, had been alerted by his colleagues, ignored it, and intentionally allowed an unfair election to take place.