CONGRESS QUESTIONS ECI’S ROLE IN CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION DURING ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION

September 28, 2026

The Congress has renewed its criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing remarks by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Election Commission of India (ECI) is not constitutionally responsible for determining citizenship, arguing that citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955. He also demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner over the Commission’s handling of citizenship-related issues during the SIR exercise.

The dispute centres partly on a citizenship declaration attached to Form 6, which is used by new voters seeking enrolment. The ECI has maintained that Form 6 itself has not been changed and that the additional declaration was introduced separately under the SIR framework.

The issue has also been considered by the Supreme Court. In its May 2026 judgment concerning Bihar’s SIR, the court held that the ECI could conduct a limited inquiry into citizenship for determining eligibility for electoral-roll inclusion, while clarifying that such an inquiry would have electoral consequences and would not constitute a final determination of citizenship.

The controversy continues as political parties and election authorities debate the scope of the ECI’s powers during the electoral-roll revision process.