Rahul Gandhi blasted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on X, accusing him of wielding a lifelong legal shield that the PM allegedly used to manipulate elections. He slammed the CEC as the only Indian with such immunity, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the puppet behind the move. The tweet sparked a flurry of comments from opposition leaders.
The controversy follows an Indian Express report that found Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded 14 objections in ten months to decisions taken in the name of the poll panel. The objections covered voter registration, deletion, restoration, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The report highlighted that the EC’s three‑member panel had formally recorded dissenting opinions before the final decisions were announced.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president, echoed Gandhi’s call for the CEC’s removal, adding that the EC should be suspended immediately and the SIR halted. Kharge also demanded a return to ballot paper voting, arguing that electronic voting machines are a tool of the ruling party’s agenda. He insisted that the pre‑SIR roll should serve future elections, with greater transparency and an appeal mechanism for voters struck off the list.
The Election Commission defended its actions, saying that all decisions, including the SIR, had the unanimous approval of the three commissioners. It also noted that internal deliberations are part of its normal functioning. Nonetheless, opposition parties are intensifying their campaign against the EC, framing the SIR as a breach of electoral integrity.
The INDIA bloc will convene a joint agitation programme next week, with members pledging to pressure the government to reverse the SIR and restore confidence in the electoral process. The next step could see a formal motion in Parliament demanding the CEC’s resignation and a shift back to paper ballots.