The call came after a series of objections lodged by Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who flagged 14 irregularities over ten months concerning the Supreme Electoral Reforms (SIR) exercise. Kharge said the CEC’s actions were arbitrary and aligned with the ruling party, citing the exposed pattern of deletions and rule changes that favored BJP.
He outlined five demands at the Congress Working Committee meeting: make all electoral‑roll changes public; give deleted voters a chance to appeal; provide political parties with rolls in a simplified format; launch an independent, time‑bound probe into serious anomalies; and ensure the entire polling process is transparent to prevent any perception of secrecy.
Kharge also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the leader applied pressure on the poll panel and called for the PM’s resignation on moral grounds. He warned that the poll body’s integrity could be compromised if the CEC remains in place.
The Election Commission dismissed the allegations as standard administrative queries, stating that the objections raised were part of its routine decision‑making process and not an institutional dissent. It affirmed that the CEC remains independent and that the queries were routine.
Pragya Sharma, a 24‑year‑old student from Pune, says her name was wiped from the roll last month, leaving her disenfranchised, and she hopes the upcoming court hearing will clear her name. The next week’s court session will decide whether the CEC’s decisions withstand judicial scrutiny.