Congress alleges PM Modi knew of ECI IT division disputes

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of disputes within the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding restrictions on the ECINet electoral-roll portal. Ramesh claims that the decision to restrict electoral registration officers' (ERO) access to the portal may have been made at the Prime Minister's direction.

The allegations stem from complaints made in July by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary. The commissioners reportedly objected to a work-allocation order that reduced oversight of the ECI’s IT division and restricted ERO access to the ECINet system, which they argued overrode their statutory authority regarding additions and deletions to electoral rolls.

Ramesh further noted that the officer involved in the initial complaint remains in a key position and has been tasked with overseeing the controversial IT division since August. While the ECI has rejected claims of unilateral decision-making and subsequently ordered a review of ECINet, the Congress party maintains that the matter reached the Department of Personnel and Training, which falls under the Prime Minister's charge.