Congress Says Puppet Must Go, But Those Pulling the Strings Must Also Be Held Accountable

New Delhi, Oct 6: The Congress on Tuesday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of overseeing what it described as widespread manipulation during the West Bengal Assembly elections and called for accountability over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh made the allegations while referring to a media report that said judges serving on tribunals established on the Supreme Court’s directions to hear SIR-related appeals had flagged problems with a digital portal developed by the ECI’s information technology division.

The report concerned tribunals dealing with appeals involving electoral-roll deletions, including those affecting around 27 lakh electors in West Bengal.

Sharing a screenshot of the report on X, Ramesh alleged that the developments had exposed further shortcomings within the poll panel. He claimed that the strategy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was aimed at influencing the outcome of the West Bengal elections and accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of overseeing the process.

Ramesh said Kumar should be removed and that Modi and Shah should also be held accountable for what he described as the alleged manipulation of the electoral process.

The Congress leader also said MPs belonging to the INDIA bloc, along with other Opposition parliamentarians who had been invited to participate, would march to the Election Commission on Tuesday to press for the CEC’s resignation.

Ramesh further alleged that heightened security around Parliament indicated nervousness within the government ahead of the Opposition’s planned demonstration.

The latest remarks came amid an escalating political dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise and changes allegedly made to Form 6, which is used by eligible citizens to seek inclusion in electoral rolls.

The controversy intensified after the Supreme Court clarified on Monday that it had not approved any modification to Form 6. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said the court would examine the decisions involved and could invalidate any action found to be contrary to law.

The bench specifically stated that any modification to Form 6 had not received its approval and said it would examine the records to determine who had made the changes.

The Congress and other Opposition parties have used the development to renew their demand for Kumar’s resignation. They have accused the CEC of acting in favour of the prime minister and home minister and alleged that changes to the form were made unilaterally during the SIR process.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also said on Monday that the CEC and others whom he accused of participating in what he called an assault on democracy would eventually be held accountable.

The Opposition’s criticism comes against the backdrop of another controversy involving differences within the Election Commission. A report published by The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the previous 10 months to decisions and orders, many of them concerning the SIR exercise.

The reported disagreements have added to Opposition scrutiny of the poll panel’s internal decision-making and the manner in which electoral-roll revisions are being conducted.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected any suggestion that differences among its members indicate wrongdoing. The poll body has maintained that differing opinions and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and said its orders have full legal validity and are issued in accordance with statutory procedures.

The dispute over the electoral rolls is likely to remain a major political issue as Opposition parties continue to demand greater transparency from the poll panel. The Congress has sought accountability from the election authorities as well as the political leadership it accuses of benefiting from the alleged irregularities.

The Election Commission’s defence, meanwhile, is that its decisions follow established legal procedures and that internal differences do not undermine the validity of its orders.

With the Supreme Court examining the circumstances surrounding the Form 6 controversy, the legal and political scrutiny of the SIR process is expected to continue.