CONGRESS CHALLENGES ECINET’S LEGALITY AS VOTER-ROLL REVISION FACES DEEPENING SCRUTINY
October 2, 2026
The Congress has intensified its confrontation with the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of misleading the public over the legality of its ECINet digital platform and alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been conducted in violation of statutory procedures.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the Election Commission’s September 26 decision to establish a committee to review ECINet’s compliance with electoral laws, questioning why such verification was necessary after the platform had been launched with assurances of legal compliance. He described the move as an attempt at damage control that had raised further questions about the commission’s functioning.
Ramesh alleged that restrictions imposed on Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in accessing the ECINet voter-roll system, along with decisions overriding officers in states including West Bengal and Goa, violated the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. He argued that electoral registration authorities must retain their legally prescribed powers and that decisions affecting voter lists should follow established procedures.
The Congress also questioned the circumstances in which the nationwide SIR was initiated, demanding the disclosure of the original records authorising the exercise, the minutes of Election Commission meetings and objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The party has alleged that certain decisions were taken without adequate collective consultation, raising concerns over institutional transparency and accountability.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram called on chief electoral officers to disclose any directions they considered inconsistent with electoral law. He also questioned whether the commission’s recent procedural changes adequately addressed the concerns raised over voter exclusions, centralised digital controls and the authority of local electoral registration officers.
The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions are legally authorised and that differing views among commissioners are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It has defended the SIR as an exercise to maintain accurate electoral rolls and announced a review of ECINet’s legal compliance, alongside measures to assist eligible voters whose names may have been omitted.
The controversy has become part of a wider opposition campaign demanding greater transparency in electoral administration and accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc has announced further demonstrations and a proposed march to the Election Commission, while the Congress continues to seek disclosure of internal decision-making records and a review of the SIR process.
With questions surrounding ECINet, voter verification and the powers of electoral officers now under heightened public and legal scrutiny, the dispute has intensified debate over the institutional safeguards governing India’s electoral system. The allegations made by the Congress remain contested, with the Election Commission maintaining that its procedures comply with the law.
