NEW DELHI, Oct 8: The Congress on Thursday stepped up its attack on the BJP and the Election Commission over alleged shortcomings in the ECINET application, claiming that the digital platform could facilitate centralised control over the addition and deletion of voter records.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh cited a media report on X that quoted a security researcher as saying he had alerted the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the country’s cyber-security agency, CERT-In, about alleged vulnerabilities in the poll panel’s voter services website and ECINET application.
Ramesh said the researcher had reported several concerns to the Election Commission on July 8, 2026, but the poll panel acknowledged one of the issues only on October 6.
He questioned the delay in responding to the reported security concerns, alleging that the timing had assumed significance as the ECI faced mounting criticism over its functioning.
Ramesh alleged that ECINET was designed to centralise the process of adding and deleting voter records from the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. The Congress leader, however, did not provide independent evidence to support the allegation.
He also claimed that the security researcher had earlier exposed alleged weaknesses in the CBSE’s information technology system. Ramesh used the reference to intensify his criticism of the BJP-led government and question the handling of digital systems connected with public institutions.
The Congress leader’s remarks came amid an escalating political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the management of electoral rolls.
The controversy gained further momentum after a report by The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months. According to the report, most of the concerns related to decisions and orders connected with the Special Intensive Revision process.
The reported objections have become a fresh point of contention between the ruling party and the Congress, with the Opposition seeking greater transparency in the functioning of the poll panel and its electoral-roll procedures.
The Election Commission has defended its decision-making process, saying differences of opinion and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations.
The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have full legal validity and are issued in accordance with established statutory procedures.
The Congress has continued to question the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions and digital voter services. The latest allegations concerning ECINET have added a technology and cybersecurity dimension to the wider political dispute.
The issue is likely to remain part of the ongoing debate over electoral transparency, voter-list management and the use of digital systems in election administration.