# India Election Commission voter list controversy > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/india-election-commission-voter-list-controversy > Updated: 2026-09-25T15:33:51.000Z. Sources: 42. Developments: 6. Political tension in India has escalated following reports that approximately 130 million names were removed from voter lists across 30 states and union territories during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Opposition leaders have intensified criticism of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi has demanded Kumar’s resignation, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has called for criminal prosecution for treason, describing the removals as an ‘attack on the Constitution’. Mamata Banerjee has demanded Kumar’s arrest and fresh elections in states like West Bengal. Legal challenges have moved to the Supreme Court via a petition by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, seeking the criminal prosecution of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg, and IT Director General Seema Khanna. The petitioner alleges Kumar made decisions and software modifications without required concurrence from other commissioners. This follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi filed at least 14 formal objections regarding voter lists and data centralization. Opposition pressure has intensified as the Indian National Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coordinate protests. In Patna, RJD workers led by district president Uday Yadav held demonstrations, while Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil raised concerns regarding the relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has defended its actions, maintaining that internal disagreements are normal and that recent orders resulted from unanimous decisions. Recent developments have further polarized the debate. Mukesh Sahni, leader of the Vikas Sheel Insan Party (VIP), accused the ECI of working for the BJP and made violent remarks toward Kumar during a press conference in Patna. Additionally, CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac challenged Kumar’s administrative history, alleging his involvement in a past controversy in Kerala involving a suicide note. ## Claims - The Election Commission rejects reports of internal rifts, stating all decisions were unanimous. (disputed by 2 sources) - Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to decisions made without their approval. (disputed) - Opposition leaders allege that approximately 130 million voters have been removed from electoral rolls. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Cockroach Janata Party issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the CEC to resign, threatening nationwide protests including ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ if the demand is not met. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on moral grounds. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-25: Indian opposition parties demand resignation of Chief Election Commissioner RJD and Congress demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing concerns over the Election Commission's independence and calling for impeachment proceedings. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-opposition-parties-demand-resignation-of-chief-election-commissioner ### 2026-09-25: BJP leader defends Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar West Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suggesting he deserves the Padma Bhushan amid Congress-led protests demanding his resignation. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bjp-leader-defends-chief-election-commissioner-gyanesh-kumar ### 2026-09-25: Congress party protests nationwide against CEC Gyanesh Kumar The Congress party held nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, leading to multiple detentions, including Assam leader Gaurav Gogoi. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/congress-party-protests-nationwide-against-cec-gyanesh-kumar ### 2026-09-25: Gyanesh Kumar faces Supreme Court plea for criminal prosecution A Supreme Court petition seeks the criminal prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged unauthorized electoral roll revisions and the deletion of 13 crore voters. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gyanesh-kumar-faces-supreme-court-plea-for-criminal-prosecution ### 2026-09-24: Gyanesh Kumar faces political controversy over remarks and past career Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faces backlash after VIP leader Mukesh Sahni made violent remarks and CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac raised questions regarding his past administrative career. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gyanesh-kumar-faces-political-controversy-over-remarks-and-past-career ### 2026-09-23: Gyanesh Kumar faces calls for resignation amid ECI controversy India's Election Commission faces intense scrutiny and nationwide protests following reports of internal dissent and allegations of mass voter list manipulation by opposition leaders. 33 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-opposition-demands-resignation-of-chief-election-commissioner --- Cite as: India Election Commission voter list controversy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/india-election-commission-voter-list-controversy