‘Vote Demonetisation’: Kharge Lists Five Demands Over SIR, Targets Gyanesh Kumar

On Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Election Commission of undermining the integrity of the electoral process through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls and changes to voter-enrolment rules. He said the party would intensify its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the government.

Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi, Kharge said the party had a “historic responsibility” to protect democracy and the Constitution. The Times of India reported that he drew a parallel between the Congress’ struggle for voting rights under British rule and its present campaign over voter rolls.

Kharge alleged that names were being deleted from electoral rolls “at the behest of the BJP and the Modi government” and called CEC Gyanesh Kumar a “puppet” of the government. He also criticised changes to Form 6, which is used to enrol new voters, saying the revised rules could disenfranchise young voters.

The Election Commission has said its decisions have full legal sanction and that differences among commissioners are part of normal deliberations.

Kharge also contrasted the Modi government with the Rajiv Gandhi government’s 1988 decision to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. “They didn't provide jobs, and now they don't even want to give the right to vote,” Kharge said, alleging that the government feared questions from young voters.

Voter Roll Allegations

Kharge backed Rahul Gandhi’s claims over voter rolls. He congratulated Rahul Gandhi for raising concerns over voter rolls in Mahadevpuram, Aland and constituencies in Haryana and Maharashtra. He referred to allegations of duplicate voters, doubtful addresses, multiple voters registered at the same address and entries linked to Form 6, and said the Election Commission should have acted on those concerns.

“If the Election Commission had shown even a little seriousness in that direction, they would not be in the dock today, and their credibility would have been preserved,” Kharge said.

He also praised Congress workers who staged protests at the block, district and state levels after Rahul Gandhi’s campaign. The Congress has been pressing for Kumar’s resignation amid a row over reported differences within the Election Commission over the SIR exercise.

The poll panel has said that operational queries raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were routine internal questions and that its orders followed established procedures.

Kharge also questioned how SIR was decided, asking whether it was wrong to seek clarity on who approved the exercise and why the two election commissioners were allegedly kept out of the internal portal.

Five Demands Listed

Kharge set out five demands. He said full data on major changes to voter lists should be made public. Voters whose names have been removed, he said, should receive complete information and a full opportunity to appeal.

Political parties, Kharge said, should receive voter lists and essential related data in a simple format and in a timely manner. He also demanded that serious discrepancies be independently investigated within a fixed timeframe.

His fifth demand was broader transparency. Election-related data and decisions, he said, should be open enough to ensure that no political party can claim information is being withheld.

“The most important thing is that India's voters must have the confidence that their vote is secure,” Kharge said.

He said the Congress was not treating the issue only as a fight over electoral victory or defeat. Governments may change, he argued, but democracy and the Constitution remain permanent.

Kharge Escalates Attack

Kharge widened his criticism to the functioning of institutions. He accused the BJP and RSS of systematically weakening independent institutions. He said the Congress wanted the Election Commission to be strong enough to command the trust of both the ruling party and the opposition.

Kharge alleged that two election commissioners had themselves described the CEC’s actions as arbitrary and unfair and said those responsible should be removed. He also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation “on moral grounds”, alleging that Kumar had acted under the prime minister’s pressure.

He compared the controversy to demonetisation and called the alleged removal of voters from electoral rolls “vote demonetisation”. “In demonetisation, the poor stood in line. In vote demonetisation, the poor has been thrown out of the line altogether,” he said.

Kharge argued that voting was the biggest political tool available to poor, Dalit and marginalised citizens.

The CWC meeting comes ahead of a meeting of opposition INDIA bloc parties on Wednesday, where a joint strategy on the SIR controversy and the demand for Kumar’s removal is expected to be discussed.

The opposition is also considering another removal notice against the CEC in Parliament.