New Delhi, 29 September (H.S.): The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday raised serious objections to the electoral rolls being prepared under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. In a resolution adopted at a meeting held at Indira Bhavan, the Congress demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the suspension of the SIR process. The party also demanded the immediate restoration of what it claimed were around 133 million names removed from the electoral rolls.

The CWC resolution raised a range of concerns relating to the functioning of the Election Commission of India, the addition and deletion of names from electoral rolls, the alleged selective application of the Model Code of Conduct, the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), changes to the process for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner, and the legal protections extended to the office. The Congress alleged that these issues had raised questions about the independence of the Election Commission and the fairness of the electoral process.

The party, citing recent reports, claimed that two Election Commissioners had raised objections to certain decisions on 14 occasions over a period of 10 months. The Congress also described changes allegedly made to Form 6 during the SIR exercise as unauthorised and illegal. It alleged that decisions taken by the Chief Election Commissioner without adequate consultation with the other Election Commissioners raised questions about the institutional functioning of the poll panel. The Election Commission, however, has publicly maintained that its decisions are taken unanimously.

The resolution also questioned the constitutional validity of the SIR exercise. The Congress claimed that around 133 million names had so far been removed from electoral rolls. The party argued that if the process places the burden on citizens to establish their eligibility without adequate and transparent safeguards, it could affect the constitutional guarantees of equality under Article 14 and the principle of universal adult suffrage under Article 326. The Election Commission has made procedures available for voters to submit claims and supporting documents under the SIR exercise.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also questioned the role of the Election Commission during the meeting. He alleged that large numbers of people were being removed from electoral rolls as part of a conspiracy and that democratic institutions were being weakened. Kharge said the Congress’s fight was not against any individual or institution, but for the protection of voters’ rights, the Constitution and the democratic system.

Kharge said the independence of the Election Commission was an essential safeguard for democracy. He questioned the process through which the decision to undertake the SIR was taken and asked why reports had emerged about two Election Commissioners being kept out of the internal portal. He also alleged that democratic institutions had been weakened over the past 12 years and said the constitutional spirit of ensuring every eligible citizen’s right to vote and the fair counting of every vote must be upheld.

Referring to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s remarks on voting rights in the Constituent Assembly, Kharge said the right to vote was the foundation of democracy. He also referred to the decision during former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, and alleged that changes were now being introduced that could affect young people’s voting rights. In particular, he raised concerns over changes relating to the rules governing Form 6, which is used for voter registration.

Kharge also referred to questions previously raised by Rahul Gandhi concerning electoral rolls and election-related data. Citing the Mahadevapura, Aland, Haryana and Maharashtra cases, he said Gandhi had raised concerns over duplicate voters, questionable addresses, the registration of large numbers of voters at a single address and issues relating to Form 6. The Congress contends that timely action by the Election Commission in these matters could have prevented the current controversy surrounding the credibility of the poll panel from escalating.

The CWC called for the immediate suspension of the SIR process, transparent disclosure of changes made to electoral rolls and a review of the names that had been removed. The Congress said it would continue to raise the issue at both the political and constitutional levels.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar