Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday renewed his attack on the Narendra Modi government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to paper ballots. In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the government was employing various tactics to shield Kumar despite repeated revelations of alleged “vote theft”. His remarks come amid a political row over his controversial statement about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father at an event in Patna, which has drawn criticism from leaders of the ruling alliance at the Centre. Kharge claimed that the ECI had declined to disclose information about the software used in the SIR exercise under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, citing trade secrets. He also alleged that details of 16.18 lakh Form 6 applications in Uttar Pradesh had not been made public. Referring to Pilibhit, the Congress chief said irregularities involving 10,470 voters had been detected in official records, prompting authorities to order an investigation into Forms 6, 7 and 8 across the state.
INDIA bloc’s electoral reform demands
Listing the INDIA bloc’s demands, Kharge called for Kumar’s resignation and the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of election commissioners, which he alleged protected the CEC. He also demanded an immediate suspension of the SIR exercise and the restoration of names allegedly removed unlawfully from electoral rolls. The third demand was that all elections be conducted using paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines.
Congress calls for November 1 rally
Describing the campaign as a struggle to protect the Constitution and democracy, Kharge urged citizens to participate in the INDIA bloc’s ‘Save Votes–Save the Nation’ march and mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The Congress has repeatedly accused the BJP and the ECI of colluding in electoral irregularities, allegations that have been rejected by the ruling party and disputed by the poll body.
