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Election Commission of India faces Congress demands for CEC resignation
The Indian National Congress has intensified its criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the body of enabling ‘vote theft’ by withholding searchable electoral rolls from political parties for eight years. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the ECI stopped providing these searchable formats in 2018 following claims of bogus voters in Madhya Pradesh.
Ramesh has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for an immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), claiming it risks the voting rights of over 13 crore Indians. He further called for a complete overhaul of the ECI’s information technology systems.
In response to recent pressure, the ECI issued an order on October 15, 2026, to provide searchable electoral rolls to political parties for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) across 17 states and Union Territories, with January 1, 2027, set as the qualifying date. The BJP has dismissed these allegations, accusing the Congress of ‘shoot-and-scoot’ politics and noting a lack of formal legal complaints regarding previous claims of voter irregularities.
Separately, CPI(M) MP John Brittas accused the government of dismantling democracy through new legislation regarding the appointment of Election Commissioners. Meanwhile, during a rally in Goa, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of undermining the constitution through electoral irregularities.
Entities
Bharatiya Janata Party · Communist Party of India (Marxist) · Congress Party · Election Commission of India · Gyanesh Kumar · Indian National Congress · Jairam Ramesh · Nishikant Dubey · Rahul Gandhi
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of involvement in ‘vote theft’ during a rally in Goa. www.bhaskarhindi.com · www.tv9hindi.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) should be suspended immediately. desitalkchicago.com · madhyamamonline.com · nagalandpost.com · english.mathrubhumi.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The ECI set January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) in 17 states and Union Territories. desitalkchicago.com · english.mathrubhumi.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] CPI(M) MP John Brittas accused the BJP government of dismantling democracy through legislation governing the appointment of Election Commissioners. newsable.asianetnews.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must resign. desitalkchicago.com · madhyamamonline.com · bhaskarlive.in · nagalandpost.com · english.mathrubhumi.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] The ECI issued an order on October 15, 2026, to provide electoral rolls in searchable format to political parties for the Special Summary Revision (SSR). desitalkchicago.com · madhyamamonline.com · bhaskarlive.in · nagalandpost.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The BJP accused the Congress of engaging in ‘shoot-and-scoot’ politics regarding electoral rolls. www.orissapost.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Election Commission of India withheld searchable electoral rolls from political parties for eight years. desitalkchicago.com · madhyamamonline.com · bhaskarlive.in · nagalandpost.com · english.mathrubhumi.com