Rahul Gandhi Targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over Election Commission Row, Demands Resignation
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp critique against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the poll panel head of undermining the electoral process. The remarks come in the wake of mounting political friction surrounding the Election Commission's recent administrative actions and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of undermining the electoral process and demanding Kumar’s resignation. His remarks came amid a political row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reports of differences within the poll panel, according to a report.
Gandhi has alleged that decisions taken under Kumar’s leadership affected the integrity of elections and urged the CEC to “turn approver”. These are political allegations by the Congress and have not been established by a court. Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner Sandhu-Joshi Meet; Form 6, SIR Decisions Clarified.
Rahul Gandhi Targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over Election Commission Row
First, Gyanesh Kumar - then a serving IAS officer - was used to recruit for the BJP.
Then Modi and Shah made him the umpire and put him in charge of match-fixing India's elections. https://t.co/hvdhEfoVgg
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 26, 2026
Big revelation on Gyanesh Kumar.
Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson says Gyanesh Kumar approached him and asked him to contest on a BJP ticket, even offering a ministerial position.
Who was Gyanesh Kumar to make such an offer?
On whose authority was he speaking?
And why… pic.twitter.com/vhJEkwzWTA
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) September 26, 2026
Rahul Gandhi’s Charges Against CEC
Speaking on Thursday, Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission had failed in its constitutional responsibilities and accused Kumar of involvement in what he described as manipulation of the electoral process.
Gandhi also linked his allegations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying investigations into the matter would eventually examine their role. The BJP has rejected Gandhi’s allegations and accused the Congress of seeking to blame the Election Commission for its electoral setbacks. Delhi SIR: Election Commission Extends Deadline for Filing Claims and Objections Till October 30.
The Congress has since held protests in several parts of the country, demanding Kumar’s resignation and action over the issues surrounding the revision of electoral rolls.
Row Over SIR and Internal Objections
The controversy intensified after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised written objections on several occasions concerning decisions linked to the SIR exercise and electoral-roll management.
According to reports, the two commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times over a period of about 10 months. The reported concerns included issues involving voter-roll changes, Form 6 and aspects of the Election Commission’s information-technology systems.
The Election Commission has maintained that differing views and technical observations are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body and has rejected the suggestion that its final decisions were divided.
ECI Says SIR Decisions Were Unanimous
In its latest clarification on Saturday, the Election Commission said the major decisions concerning the SIR exercise were approved unanimously by CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi.
The Commission also said the June 24, 2025 order initiating the SIR exercise and subsequent schedules received the approval of all three commissioners. It said the letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an administrative matter involving an officer on deputation and were not related to an ECI policy decision.
The full Commission met at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi on September 26 amid the continuing controversy. The ECI also announced measures including advance circulation of meeting agendas and issuing minutes after meetings.
Form 6 and Voter Registration Issue
The dispute has also centred on changes associated with Form 6, which is used by eligible citizens to seek inclusion in electoral rolls.
Congress leaders have alleged that changes to the online form created additional hurdles for first-time voters. The Election Commission, however, has said the statutory Form 6 was not changed and that an additional declaration was introduced alongside it as part of the SIR process.
The ECI has also announced measures to make the SIR process easier for voters, including doorstep assistance in certain cases and an extension of the claims and objections deadline in Delhi and Maharashtra.
Political Dispute Continues
The controversy has brought the Election Commission's functioning under sustained political scrutiny. Congress and several opposition parties have demanded action against Kumar, while the BJP has defended the poll panel and rejected the allegations.
Some NDA allies, including Union minister Chirag Paswan, have separately called for greater clarity from the Election Commission, saying questions surrounding the poll process should be addressed publicly.
With the ECI now publicly maintaining that its SIR decisions were unanimous, the dispute is likely to remain focused on the reported objections, the changes to electoral-roll procedures and the broader questions being raised by opposition parties about the functioning of the poll panel.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2026 08:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
