Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack against the central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign on moral grounds.
Key Points and Charges Raised
Demand for Prime Minister’s Resignation: Kharge asserted that the Chief Election Commissioner acted under direct executive influence to favor the ruling party. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose pressure the poll panel chief allegedly functioned, must resign immediately on moral grounds.
Call for CEC’s Immediate Removal: Citing objections and internal dissent raised by fellow Election Commissioners—who had flagged actions within the commission as arbitrary and procedural lapses in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process—Kharge stated that the CEC has lost constitutional credibility and has no moral or legal right to continue in office.
Allegations of “Votebandi”: The Congress chief accused the Modi government of undermining democratic institutions through systematic voter suppression and disenfranchisement, terming it “Votebandi”. He raised serious concerns over unilateral changes in rules concerning voter addition forms (such as Form 6) and arbitrary deletions targeting young voters and vulnerable sections.
Five Key Demands Put Forward by the Congress:
Complete public disclosure of all data concerning additions, deletions, and major revisions made to the electoral rolls.
Timely sharing of voter roll datasets with all recognized political parties in transparent, accessible, machine-readable formats.
Immediate restoration of statutory appellate mechanisms for citizens wrongfully omitted from voters’ lists.
An independent, time-bound judicial inquiry into all documented discrepancies and irregular roll manipulations.
Strict institutional safeguards to ensure the constitutional independence and neutrality of the Election Commission ahead of upcoming Assembly elections.
