New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that votes were being “stolen” and warning that such alleged manipulation of the electoral process could undermine the legitimacy of laws made by elected representatives.
Gandhi Demands CEC’s Resignation
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi demanded Kumar’s resignation and accused him of acting against the country. He also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission amid a reported internal disagreement over decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
‘Vote Chori’ Behind BJP’s Electoral Success: Gandhi
Gandhi linked the controversy to what he described as the disappearance of the traditional anti-incumbency factor in several states where the BJP has remained electorally successful.
Citing Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi questioned why governments and political parties that traditionally faced anti-incumbency were no longer experiencing the same electoral pattern.
He said the Congress had eventually arrived at what he called “vote chori” as an explanation for the trend.
EC Commissioners Reportedly Raised 14 Objections
The allegations came a day after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning electoral rolls and other matters.
According to the report, the objections covered issues including voter additions and deletions, changes to Form 6 for new voter registration and the handling of electoral-roll data.
Election Commission Rejects Allegations
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that its decisions were being taken without the participation of the full commission.
In its response to The Indian Express investigation, the poll panel said differing views and observations were part of institutional deliberations and maintained that decisions taken over the past year, including those related to SIR, were unanimous decisions of the full commission.
Opposition Plans Fresh Removal Motion
The political confrontation has widened beyond the Congress, with Opposition parties demanding Kumar’s removal and calling for the SIR exercise to be halted.
Sources cited by The Indian Express said Opposition parties were preparing a fresh motion seeking Kumar’s removal, with Congress taking the lead and INDIA bloc parties discussing the proposal. A notice could reportedly be submitted in Parliament as early as next week.
CJP Gives CEC 48-Hour Ultimatum
The Cockroach Janta Party has separately given Kumar 48 hours to resign and threatened protests across the country if he does not step down.
The party has also demanded that upcoming elections be put on hold and that the SIR process be rolled back to its 2025 position.
Demand For Criminal Probe, SIR Records
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke made the demands at a press conference in New Delhi, while co-convenor Saurav Das called for criminal proceedings against Kumar and others.
The party also sought custody of SIR-related records under a Supreme Court-led committee and demanded changes to the law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners.
SIR Process Under Increasing Scrutiny
The controversy comes as the SIR exercise faces growing political and legal scrutiny over changes to electoral rolls.
The Election Commission recently told the Supreme Court that more than 22 lakh of the 27.16 lakh voters deleted from West Bengal’s rolls had filed appeals seeking reinstatement.
The developments have intensified the political confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the conduct of SIR and the management of electoral rolls.
