NEW DELHI, Sept 24: The Congress on Thursday stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process could result in the exclusion of eligible voters and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised the issue following reports of differences within the poll panel over decisions linked to electoral roll management and the use of the ECINet software.
Ramesh cited a report concerning Goa, where the state Chief Electoral Officer reportedly sent eight communications to the Election Commission in seven days regarding 97 voters whose eligibility had been verified by Electoral Registration Officers but whose names did not appear in the final roll. The Indian Express reported that the communications sought action on the issue.
The Congress leader also referred to reports concerning the centralised management of electoral-roll data through ECINet. He alleged that the system had contributed to the removal or flagging of large numbers of voters during the SIR exercise and raised concerns over restrictions placed on Electoral Registration Officers.
Ramesh further alleged that changes to the procedure for registering new voters through Form 6 could make it more difficult for first-time electors to join the rolls. His comments followed reports that two Election Commissioners had objected to changes involving Form 6 and other aspects of the electoral-roll process.
According to an Indian Express report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions related to SIR during the past 10 months. The reported concerns included changes to Form 6, the handling of additions and deletions from electoral rolls and centralised control of the voter database.
The Form 6 issue is particularly significant for first-time voters because the form is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The report said the ECINet portal introduced additional questions connected with previous electoral rolls, prompting objections from the two commissioners.
Ramesh alleged that younger voters, including members of Generation Z, could be affected by the changes. He linked the issue to broader concerns raised by the Congress about the integrity and transparency of the electoral-roll revision exercise.
The Congress has demanded that Kumar step down and has also accused the Union government of having a role in the process. These allegations are part of the party’s wider criticism of the SIR exercise and its implementation across states.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that disagreements among its members indicate an institutional breakdown. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the poll panel said differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within any institution. It maintained that its orders have full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.
The Commission also said that all three Election Commissioners, as well as other officials, are authorised to offer suggestions aimed at improving the electoral system. The poll body has therefore characterised the reported differences as part of its internal decision-making process rather than evidence of a dispute affecting the legality of its decisions.
The controversy comes as the SIR exercise remains under scrutiny in several parts of the country. In Delhi, large numbers of voters have received notices concerning their inclusion in the electoral rolls, while the process has also generated questions about the reasons for deletions and the mechanisms available to voters seeking correction or reinstatement.
The Election Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revision is intended to identify and remove ineligible, duplicate, deceased or shifted entries while ensuring that eligible citizens remain on the rolls. In West Bengal, for example, the poll panel recently informed the Supreme Court that more than 22 lakh of the 27.16 lakh voters removed during the SIR had filed appeals seeking reinstatement.
The Goa episode has added another dimension to the debate because local officials had reportedly examined the cases of the 97 voters and found them eligible, according to the Indian Express report. The report said their names nevertheless remained absent from the final roll despite repeated communications from the state election office.
The developments have intensified calls from opposition parties for greater transparency in the SIR process, particularly concerning the functioning of centralised electoral software and the role of officials responsible for maintaining voter rolls.
The Election Commission has continued to defend the legality of the revision exercise and its procedures. With SIR-related decisions facing increased political and public scrutiny, the dispute is now centred on how voter data is processed, how objections from election officials are handled and what safeguards are available to eligible citizens whose names are removed or flagged.
The Congress has said it will continue to raise the issue, while the Election Commission has maintained that its procedures are legally authorised and that differences among commissioners are a normal part of institutional deliberation.