New Delhi

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has raised serious questions about the legal protection enjoyed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He did this in a post on X on Wednesday, amid the growing political fight over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi asked why the CEC has what he called lifetime legal immunity. He linked this protection to an allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses the CEC to steal elections. Strong words, no doubt.

What is Section 16 of the 2023 Act?

Gandhi's remarks target Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. Under this provision, courts cannot accept or continue civil or criminal cases against a serving or former CEC or Election Commissioner for any act done while carrying out official duties. This is not a protection created only for Gyanesh Kumar. The law also says the CEC can be removed only in the same way as a Supreme Court judge.

SIR Controversy Gets Bigger

The whole dispute is about the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns about possible exclusion of eligible voters and the procedures being followed. Congress and other INDIA bloc parties have accused the Election Commission of failing to address their concerns properly.

Reports say Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months on decisions connected with SIR. The Election Commission, however, has rejected the idea that such differences show problems within the institution. It said differing views are a normal part of internal discussions and that final decisions on SIR were taken unanimously.

INDIA Bloc Plans Joint Action

Leaders of the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Wednesday to talk about a coordinated response. The alliance has demanded the removal of Gyanesh Kumar and wants pre-SIR electoral rolls to be used for future elections. They have also called for stronger support for voters excluded from rolls and safeguards against exclusion due to administrative or technical issues.

The BJP has pushed back hard. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the INDIA bloc of using the Election Commission controversy for political gain.

Supreme Court Will Look at the Matter

The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider a petition challenging parts of the Election Commission's functioning and the SIR process. The petition seeks suspension of the CEC and legal review of decisions taken during the electoral-roll revision.

Right now, two big questions remain. How should the SIR exercise be conducted? And what level of legal protection should Election Commissioners get for actions taken in their official role? Both matter a lot for every voter in the country.

Election Commission's digital systems ECINET and ERONET are under review. The question is straightforward: do these platforms give Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) enough room to make the decisions the law allows them to make?

An electoral roll is the official list of eligible voters in any constituency. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Electoral Registration Officer is responsible for preparing and revising it. That officer, usually a sub-divisional magistrate, processes applications, hears objections, and decides who stays on the voter list. The software does not decide. The ERO does.

ERONET was set up as a central system to handle voter registration, migration, and deletion applications. As per the ECI, it replaced 36 separate state systems and databases. Think of it as a decision support tool. It can flag possible duplicate entries, but the ERO looks at the records and takes the final call.

ECINET launched in January 2026 and brought together more than 40 applications and websites under one platform. Voters can register, search electoral rolls, track applications, download electronic voter IDs, and find polling station information all through it. The electoral-roll functions previously handled by ERONET now sit within ECINET as well.

What triggers a flag?

During the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, ECINET processes electoral data and flags what are called "logical discrepancies." These are mismatches when the system matches an elector against a parent or grandparent in older rolls. A relative's name mismatch, an unusual age gap, or inconsistent age progression can all trigger a flag. The ERO reviews such cases and decides the next step.

Why the controversy? Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised concerns about the software limiting the discretion that law gives to EROs. Reports mentioned a "gradual centralisation" of the electoral roll database. The worry is real. If software limits what EROs can decide directly, it could chip away at the statutory authority they are supposed to hold.

Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam went further. He wrote to the ECI seeking four changes to ECINET. Among them was giving EROs the power to decide which cases involving logical discrepancies actually need a hearing. He also asked for more flexibility over acceptable documents.

Election Commission responded. EROs can now exempt people flagged for logical discrepancies from personal hearings if appropriate. Further flexibility for field officers will be made operational. A review committee, headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner with an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, will also assess ECINET.

Source: Election Commission of India

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has asked Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to answer questions about unauthorised digital changes made to voter enrolment Form 6 on Election Commission of India portal.

Gandhi posted on X claiming the alterations were done illegally. He asked who within ECI told tech vendor Tata Consultancy Services to modify portal code. He also wanted to know who approved the decision at TCS and whether staff were pressured to push changes through.

Internal Dissent Came to Light

An Indian Express investigation found that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to an extra Special Intensive Revision declaration being added to digital Form 6 without full commission approval. The new clause forced first-time voter applicants to link their details to ancestral records from earlier revisions. That is a big change to voter registration rules and legally needs Union Law Ministry approval.

Partial Rollback After Protests

After days of scrutiny and nationwide protests by opposition parties, the ECI quietly removed the controversial SIR declaration from Form 6 on its ECINet portal. This was done for states where the revision exercise has already finished. ECI called it standard multi-member decision making based on operational feedback. Opposition leaders are still pressing hard for answers on vendor management, administrative oversight and software security around the national voter database.

Published: 01 Oct 2026, 09:51 am IST

West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh criticized INDIA bloc on Thursday. He questioned who actually leads the Opposition alliance. "These people do not respect each other," Ghosh told reporters in Kolkata. "No one has the courage to fight the BJP and defeat the BJP in elections."

His comments came a day after INDIA bloc parties announced a joint protest against Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. They are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Save Democracy March announced

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Modi of using CEC to manipulate election outcomes. This happened on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, INDIA bloc held a coordination meeting in New Delhi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge then announced a nationwide "Save Democracy March" from 2 October to 8 October. Opposition MPs plan to march to EC headquarters on 6 October. They have also sought a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October.

INDIA bloc has put forward several demands to Election Commission:

• Rollback of SIR exercise
• Pre-SIR electoral rolls to be used for future elections
• A shift back to ballot papers instead of EVMs
• A proper appeals process for voters left out of electoral rolls

BJP has rejected all allegations against Election Commission. The party says its rivals are simply targeting poll body after losing elections.

Source: ANI

Youth Congress members hit the streets of Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. They demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down. The protest came as tensions kept rising between INDIA bloc and Election Commission. They were clashing over electoral reforms and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

During the march, Youth Congress workers removed SFI banners. They alleged that SFI members attacked them. Police stepped in with a mild lathi charge and tear gas to break up the crowd.

INDIA bloc holds national meeting

Thiruvananthapuram protest lined up neatly with a national-day meeting of INDIA bloc parties in New Delhi the same day. Held at Constitution Club, the meeting pushed for a few key demands:

• Gyanesh Kumar's immediate resignation
• Rollback of the SIR exercise
• Return to ballot papers in future elections

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced a nationwide protest programme right after. From October 2 to October 8, INDIA bloc leaders will organise Save Democracy Marches at district levels. Opposition MPs plan to march to Election Commission on October 6. Leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October to raise concerns about alleged institutional issues.

Not everyone agreed. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hit back. He accused the opposition of attacking the poll body out of frustration after electoral defeats. His words were sharp: if they win, democracy zindabad; if they lose, Election Commission murdabad.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal went further, accusing the Chief Election Commissioner of rigging elections. INDIA bloc's demand list includes several items:

• Removal of Gyanesh Kumar
• Use of pre-SIR electoral rolls in all future elections
• Reintroduction of ballot papers instead of EVMs
• An effective appeals mechanism for those excluded from voter lists
• Protection for genuine voters from being dropped due to technical or administrative reasons

Kharge reminded everyone that India's democratic system rests on one person, one vote, one value. He said it was under threat. Citizens and political parties across the country are raising serious concerns about Election Commission's working. There have been no satisfactory answers on EVMs, voter-list manipulation, and changes in electoral lists.

INDIA bloc leaders met in New Delhi on Wednesday and finalised a joint action plan against Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Twenty parties agreed on rallies and 'save democracy marches' as part of a wider mobilisation strategy.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee led the charge, calling on all Opposition parties to drop their egos. She said extraordinary situations demand extraordinary action against BJP and its moves.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pushed for elections to be held using ballot papers instead of EVMs, a demand that found support across the meeting. CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby also called for the entire Opposition to unite on SIR issue and involve civil society voices.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi urged parties not to panic. He said BJP was in 'panic mode' and that the system was crumbling. Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal suggested that Opposition MPs jointly approach Supreme Court for an early hearing on pending SIR petitions.

AAP and DMK, which have kept distance from INDIA bloc, skipped the meeting but agreed to sign a fresh notice seeking removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. CPI(M) leader M A Baby met Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, while TMC's Derek O'Brien met Sanjay Singh on Tuesday, all part of efforts to build wider support.

The bloc has also called an Odisha bandh on October 8 over MMDR Act and SIR concerns.