The party cited reports of problems with a digital portal. The Election Commission rejected the concerns and said its procedures were lawful.
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, accused India’s Election Commission of overseeing mass manipulation during the West Bengal assembly elections and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the other commissioners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The allegations followed a media report that judges at special tribunals hearing appeals over voter-roll revisions had flagged problems with a digital portal, The Times of India reported.
According to the newspaper, judges at more than a dozen tribunals set up on the Supreme Court’s directions had identified gaps in the Election Commission’s portal. The tribunals are hearing appeals from people whose names were removed during a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. Ramesh alleged wrongdoing by the commission and called for its leadership to resign. Those claims are the Congress party’s position and have not been established by a court.
Members of the opposition INDIA alliance and other opposition MPs planned a peaceful march to the Election Commission seeking Kumar’s resignation. The report also described a dispute over Form 6, the application used by eligible voters to seek inclusion on electoral rolls. The Supreme Court said it had not approved changes to the form and would examine decisions once records were presented. Opposition parties allege the changes were made unilaterally.
The Election Commission rejected concerns arising from reports of internal disagreements, saying differing views are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures. A separate Indian Express report cited by the Times of India said two election commissioners had recorded objections to decisions at least 14 times over the past 10 months.