NEW DELHI, SEPT 29: The Congress Working Committee has launched a fresh offensive over the electoral process, demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, suspension of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restoration of 13 crore 30 lakh names that the party claims have been deleted.
Meeting at Indira Bhawan, the CWC alleged serious institutional and constitutional concerns surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), while accusing the RSS-BJP of seeking to capture the electoral process with the alleged support of the poll panel.
The Congress resolution said Rahul Gandhi’s repeated warnings over what the party calls “Vote Chori” had been vindicated by recent developments.
It cited concerns over alleged selective enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, EVM integrity, additions and deletions from electoral rolls, changes in the process of appointing the CEC and immunity granted to the poll panel chief.
The CWC also trained its guns on the functioning of the ECI, citing reports that the institution had been reduced to a “one-man show”.
It claimed that two Election Commissioners had raised 14 objections over ten months, including objections to alleged “unauthorised” and “illegal” changes to Form 6 during the SIR exercise.
The sharpest attack came over the SIR. The CWC claimed that 13 crore 30 lakh Indians had already been wiped out of electoral rolls and questioned the constitutional validity of a process that, according to Congress, shifts the burden onto citizens to prove their eligibility.
The party argued that a hurried revision without what it considers adequate transparency and safeguards could result in mass disenfranchisement and raised Articles 14 and 326 of the Constitution in support of its objections.
Congress said its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities had moved from political rallies to multiple institutional forums, citing the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, its nationwide “Vote Chori” campaign, representations to the ECI, legal challenges to the SIR, INDIA bloc protests in Parliament and the march to the Election Commission.
The CWC subsequently adopted three key demands — resignation of the CEC, immediate suspension of the SIR and restoration of the 13 crore 30 lakh names it says were removed from electoral rolls.
The resolution further alleged that the reported electoral irregularities were organised by the CEC on behalf of the Prime Minister and Home Minister and demanded their resignations.
Congress said it would continue the fight in Parliament, courts and on the streets, insisting that every citizen’s vote must remain secure and that the ECI must function as an independent constitutional authority.
