The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restoration of 13.30 crore names that the party alleges have been removed from voter lists.
The resolutions were adopted at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters amid allegations by the opposition party of electoral irregularities and a lack of transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The CWC accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to capture the electoral process, allegedly with the support of the poll panel under the current CEC. The party described the issue as a "grave danger to our democracy".
In its resolution, the Congress said the developments had reinforced concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi through his "Vote Chori" campaign.
The party cited alleged selective enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, concerns over electronic voting machines (EVMs), additions and deletions in electoral rolls, changes to the CEC appointment process and the grant of lifelong immunity to the CEC.
It also questioned the reported concentration of decision-making powers in the office of the CEC, alleging that the Election Commission had become a "one-man show", with decisions being taken without adequate consultation with the other Election Commissioners.
The resolution referred to an investigative report by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to SIR, including alleged "unauthorised" and "illegal" changes to Form 6.
The Congress said the reported objections raised questions about the credibility of the electoral process and the transparency of the nationwide revision exercise.
Congress questions constitutional validity of SIR, seeks restoration of voter names
The CWC expressed concerns over the constitutional validity of SIR, claiming that the exercise had "already wiped out 13 crore 30 lakh Indians from the electoral rolls".
According to the resolution, the process places an excessive burden on citizens to establish their eligibility to vote and lacks adequate transparent safeguards, potentially resulting in what the party termed "arbitrary mass-disenfranchisement".
The Congress argued that such an exercise could not be reconciled with Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, and Article 326, which provides for universal adult suffrage.
"An exercise of doubtful constitutional validity cannot be allowed to decide who may vote in the world's largest democracy," the resolution said.
The party subsequently listed three principal demands: the immediate resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the SIR exercise and restoration of the 13.30 crore names it claims have been deleted from electoral rolls.
The CWC alleged that the CEC had "forfeited all moral and institutional authority" and called for accountability over the reported changes to voter lists.
"This brazen Vote Chori has been organised by the CEC on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Nothing short of their resignation will ensure the safety of our constitution and hard-earned democracy," the resolution alleged.
The Congress also said it would continue its campaign in Parliament, courts and on the streets until those responsible were punished, voters' rights were protected and the ECI's independence was restored.
"For the Indian National Congress, the struggle to restore universal adult franchise in India is no less than the Freedom Struggle itself. And we will ensure that this struggle reaches its rightful conclusion," the resolution said.
Kharge calls CEC ‘puppet’ of Modi government, lists five demands
Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Gyanesh Kumar of acting at the behest of the Modi government and said the party wanted an Election Commission that commanded equal trust from both the ruling party and the opposition.
"Names are being removed from voter lists through calculated conspiracies, and the Chief Election Commissioner has become a puppet of the Modi government," Kharge said.
Questioning the internal decision-making process surrounding SIR, he asked why the two other Election Commissioners were allegedly denied access to the internal portal.
"Is it wrong to ask who took the decision of SIR? Is it wrong to ask why two Election Commissioners were kept out of the Internal Portal? Was something secretive going on," Kharge said.
Kharge outlined five demands aimed at ensuring transparency and protecting voters' rights ahead of Assembly elections in five states in 2027.
The demands included:
Kharge said the measures were necessary to prevent violations of voting rights and maintain public confidence in the electoral system.
KC Venugopal says PM Modi has ‘no moral right to continue’
Addressing a joint press conference with Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh after the CWC meeting, party general secretary KC Venugopal demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention over the alleged irregularities.
Venugopal said two Election Commissioners had written to the Cabinet Secretary regarding the internal functioning and decisions of the poll panel, placing the matter within the Prime Minister's knowledge.
He said the Prime Minister had a moral responsibility to intervene and hold those responsible accountable.
"It's done by the clear directions of his masters; in this country, two election commissioners have written to the Cabinet Secretary also, so it's in the knowledge of the Prime Minister also. This is the moral responsibility of the PM to intervene. CWC's opinion is that PM Modi has no moral right to continue as the Prime Minister," he said.
Venugopal also praised Rahul Gandhi for raising concerns over the electoral process through the Vote Chori campaign, claiming that the Congress leader had presented evidence over the past 18 to 19 months.
"The entire Working Committee congratulated Rahul Gandhi for taking up the biggest issue of Indian democracy through the 'Vote Chori' campaign. For the last 18-19 months, he has continuously presented to the nation evidence that the Chief Election Commissioner is completely compromised; the election system of this country is rigged, whether it is the EVM machine or the voter list, both of them are compromised, both of them are designed for winning elections for the BJP," he said.
Congress announces nationwide protests, opposition to discuss joint strategy
Venugopal said the CWC meeting, which lasted around two-and-a-half hours, discussed concerns over the CEC and alleged manipulation of the electoral system. He added that 68 members participated in the meeting.
Drawing a parallel with the Congress's demand for complete independence during the freedom struggle, Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi had referred to the 1930 Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress.
"Today, Rahul Gandhi reminded us about the Lahore Congress Session of 1930, the Indian National Congress AICC session. When the British denied even provincial rule to the Indian National Congress, at that point of time, we took a decision to agitate for a Poorna Swaraj. The present government is not hearing the voice of the people of this country; they are not hearing the demands of the people of this country; then only one way for the parties who believe in democracy to resist," he said.
The Congress general secretary announced that the party would launch nationwide demonstrations against what it described as electoral manipulation, while maintaining that the protests would remain peaceful.
"We are going to resist aggressively with peaceful demonstrations, with peaceful movements all over the country," he said.
Venugopal further said the Congress would coordinate with other opposition parties to intensify the campaign. The Congress and other opposition parties are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss a joint strategy for taking the protests forward.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has rejected suggestions that the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners amounted to institutional dissent, maintaining that decisions concerning SIR were taken with the unanimous approval of the Commission.