Congress Demands CEC's Resignation And Suspension Of Voter Roll Revision
India's grand old party's highest decision-making body calls for restoration of 13.3 crore names, days after a newspaper investigation reported dissent inside the Election Commission
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| Image Source: INCIndia on X |
The Congress Working Committee, meeting at the party's headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, also called for the restoration of 13 crore 30 lakh names, more than 130 million, which it said had been removed from the rolls through the Special Intensive Revision.
The resolution follows an investigation published by The Indian Express last week reporting that two of the three members of the Election Commission had formally objected on record at least 14 times over ten months to decisions taken without their knowledge, including changes to Form 6, the application used to register as a new voter.
The Commission has rejected the suggestion of a split in its decision-making. In a press note after a meeting of all three commissioners, it said differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution, and that its decisions over the past year, including the orders authorising the revision, were taken unanimously. It said the Supreme Court upheld the revision in an order dated 27 May.
เคจेเคคा เคตिเคชเค्เคท เคถ्เคฐी เคฐाเคนुเคฒ เคांเคงी เคी เคจे CWC เคी เคฎीเคिंเค เคฎें เคช्เคฐเคฎुเค เคฎुเคฆ्เคฆों เคो เคเค ाเคฏा।
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 29, 2026
'เคตोเค เคोเคฐी' เคैเคธे เคुเคฒाเคธे เคांเค्เคฐेเคธ เคชाเคฐ्เคी เคे เคाเคฐเคฃ เคนी เคนो เคฐเคนे เคนैं। เคฐाเคนुเคฒ เคांเคงी เคी เคชिเคเคฒे เคฆो เคธाเคฒ เคธे 'เคตोเค เคोเคฐी' เคा เคฎुเคฆ्เคฆा เคเค ा เคฐเคนे เคนैं।
เคเคฐ्เคจाเคเค เคे เคฎเคนाเคฆेเคตเคชुเคฐा เคा เคुเคจाเคต, เคนเคฐिเคฏाเคฃा เคเคฐ เคฎเคนाเคฐाเคท्เค्เคฐ เคुเคจाเคต เคो เคฒेเคเคฐ… pic.twitter.com/jVOqWfJjSg
At that meeting the Commission also announced a series of changes. A committee headed by a senior deputy election commissioner, including an independent expert from an engineering institute, will review its electoral roll software. New information technology modules will pass through a committee of officers before reaching the commissioners. Agendas for Commission meetings will be circulated in advance and minutes issued.
The Special Intensive Revision is a house-to-house verification of electoral rolls that began in Bihar in June 2025 and has since been extended across most of the country. The Election Commission describes it as a routine cleaning of the rolls, removing the dead, those who have moved and duplicate entries. Opposition parties argue that it places the burden on citizens to prove their own eligibility and that it has removed legitimate voters.
The Congress resolution argues that a process shifting that burden onto citizens, conducted in haste and resulting in what it calls arbitrary mass disenfranchisement, cannot be reconciled with the guarantee of equality under Article 14 of the Constitution or universal adult suffrage under Article 326.
The party said its campaign, which it calls Vote Chori, or vote theft, would continue in Parliament, in the courts and on the streets. The resolution describes the effort as no less than the freedom struggle itself, and lists the steps the party has already taken, including a march in Bihar, press conferences alleging roll manipulation in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana, legal challenges and protests by the opposition INDIA bloc in Parliament.
Our Congress workers staged massive protests across 800 districts yesterday.
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 29, 2026
Our agitation was very aggressive. All our senior-most leaders were on the streets, along with DCC presidents and other leaders across India.
Reports and statistics indicate that more than 13 crore… pic.twitter.com/Yl1SVxVZGi
It attributes the campaign to the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying his warnings have been vindicated, and it raises separately the changed process for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner. A 2023 law replaced the Chief Justice of India on the selection panel with a cabinet minister, leaving a committee of the prime minister, a minister and the leader of the opposition. Gandhi recorded a dissent when the current Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, was appointed in February 2025.
เคเค เคांเค्เคฐेเคธ เคाเคฐ्เคฏเคธเคฎिเคคि (CWC) เคी เคฌैเค เค เคฎें เคฎेเคฐे เคถुเคฐुเคเคคी เคตเค्เคคเคต्เคฏ เคे เคुเค เค ंเคถ —
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 29, 2026
เคเค เคी เคฌैเค เค เคเคธเคธे เคญी เคฎเคนเคค्เคตเคชूเคฐ्เคฃ เคนै। เคซिเคฐ เคธे เคांเค्เคฐेเคธ เคे เคंเคงों เคชเคฐ เค ंเค्เคฐेเคी เคฐाเค เคी เคคเคฐเคน เคนी เคญाเคฐเคค เคे เคฒोเคเคคंเคค्เคฐ เคเคฐ เคธंเคตिเคงाเคจ เคो เคฌเคाเคจे เคी เคเคคिเคนाเคธिเค เคिเคฎ्เคฎेเคตाเคฐी เคเคก़ी เคนै। เค ंเค्เคฐेเคों เคธे เคนเคฎเคจे เคตोเค เคा เคนเค เคीเคจเคเคฐ เคฒिเคฏा เคฅा। เคเค เคเคธी… pic.twitter.com/XCAOjByUME
This is the second attempt by the opposition to remove him. In April, the Rajya Sabha chairman and the Lok Sabha speaker both declined to admit a notice of motion seeking his removal. A Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only in the same manner as a Supreme Court judge, which requires a motion passed by both houses of Parliament by special majority. The opposition does not hold the numbers.
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