New Delhi, September 23:Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday stepped up his criticism of the Election Commission over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing a report that said two Election Commissioners had raised objections to decisions related to the exercise on at least 14 occasions over 10 months.
In a post on X, Kharge said the developments had brought into focus concerns that the Congress and other opposition parties had been raising for several years over the functioning and impartiality of the poll panel.
“For several years now, the Congress Party and many opposition parties have been raising questions about the fairness of elections in the country. We continuously found the role of the Election Commission suspicious. When we raised questions, they were dismissed as a joke. The doors of the Commission were shut,” he said.
Kharge said the reported objections by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised questions about the handling of electoral rolls, the use of Form 6 and software, and the transparency of decisions related to the SIR process.
“Today, the same issue has come to light from within the Election Commission itself. Two out of three Election Commissioners objected in writing 14 times,” he said, asking what Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had done in response to those objections.
Kharge also alleged that 13.8 crore names had been removed from draft electoral rolls during the first three phases of the SIR exercise across 31 states and Union Territories.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s earlier allegations concerning electoral rolls and what the party has termed “Vote Chori”, Kharge said the developments had reinforced questions raised by the opposition.
“This is tampering with democracy,” he said.
Kharge also raised the issue of a motion submitted by opposition Rajya Sabha MPs seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He said 73 opposition MPs had submitted a fresh notice of motion to the Rajya Sabha Secretary General on April 24, 2026.
“The Monsoon Session of Parliament has not yet been prorogued. Will the Hon'ble Rajya Sabha Chairman now decide on that pending Notice?” Kharge asked.
He further alleged that the issue went beyond the SIR exercise and concerned the independence and impartiality of democratic institutions.
“Today, the question is not just about Vote Chori. The question is about the government's takeover of India's democracy and its institutions. It is about their independence and impartiality,” Kharge said.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal also criticised the Chief Election Commissioner, citing the same report. Speaking to ANI, he alleged that the other Election Commissioners were not being adequately informed about decisions taken by the CEC.
“You see today's Indian Express news. Two Election Commissioners of this country—the report is very clear that two Election Commissioners of the country, they are not even informed of anything by the Chief Election Commissioner,” Venugopal said.
He alleged that the CEC was acting in favour of the Prime Minister and the BJP and accused the poll panel of attempting to alter the electoral rolls.
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, alleging that the reported developments indicated that the CEC had failed to adequately inform his colleagues about key decisions.
The controversy follows an Indian Express report which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times over a 10-month period to decisions and orders concerning the SIR process.
The Election Commission, however, rejected the suggestion that decisions had been taken without the participation of the other commissioners. Sources in the poll panel said all decisions of the Election Commission of India, including those relating to the SIR exercise, were taken unanimously with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners.
The report has also drawn reactions from several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Congress leader P. Chidambaram, RJD MP Manoj Jha, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC leader Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and CPI(M) MP John Brittas.
The opposition has previously sought the removal of Gyanesh Kumar. In April 2026, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that 73 opposition Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted a fresh notice seeking his removal on grounds of “proven misbehaviour”.
A similar notice was submitted in the Lok Sabha earlier in April but was rejected by Speaker Om Birla after consideration, according to a Lok Sabha bulletin. The Rajya Sabha Chairman, C.P. Radhakrishnan, also rejected the motion.
