The Election Commission announced on Friday that the Electoral Literacy Club (ELC) conference slated for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Uttar Pradesh had been pushed back to a later date, effective September 21, 2026. The change follows a decision taken by the body’s senior officials, citing venue constraints, conflicting schedules of key authorities and natural conditions as the main reasons.
Earlier this month, Indian Express reported that Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had lodged 14 formal objections over a 10‑month period regarding the Election Commission’s SIR process. They argued that several decisions had been made without their knowledge, a claim the Commission has denied, insisting that all final rulings were reached unanimously and had legal sanction.
The postponement comes amid rising tensions within the poll body. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a press conference, called Gyanesh Kumar a traitor and demanded his resignation, warning that Congress would not stand by while democracy was allegedly being eroded.
The ELC 2.0 initiative, under the tagline "Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy," aims to expose students and first‑time voters to the electoral process. The commission plans to roll out the program in phases across the state, with the postponed event now scheduled for a later slot as part of the 2027 election preparation.