Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Chori campaign gets backing from Congress Working Committee. (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) intensified its campaign over alleged irregularities in the electoral process on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The controversy has grown around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Congress claiming that the exercise has raised concerns over voter inclusion and election transparency, while the Election Commission has maintained that electoral roll revision follows legal procedures.
A high-level meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held at Indira Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, where senior party leaders discussed the functioning of the Election Commission and the ongoing political debate around voter lists.
The meeting was chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief ministers and senior party leaders, including general secretary K C Venugopal.
According to Congress leaders, the meeting focused on what the party described as serious concerns related to electoral transparency, institutional functioning and the voter revision process.
The CWC adopted a resolution raising objections over the conduct of the SIR exercise and demanding immediate action from the government and election authorities.
After the meeting, Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh said the discussions centred around what they called one of the biggest challenges facing Indian democracy.
The party praised Rahul Gandhi for raising the issue of alleged electoral irregularities through the Vote Chori campaign and claimed that his concerns required wider public attention.
Congress leaders said Rahul Gandhi had been raising questions about the electoral process for the past 18 months and claimed that his concerns were linked to voter lists, election transparency and institutional accountability.
The allegations made by Congress have been rejected by the BJP, which has accused the opposition party of questioning democratic institutions after electoral setbacks.
A major point discussed during the CWC meeting was the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Congress leaders claimed that around 13.30 crore voter names were affected during the revision process and expressed concern over the possibility of genuine voters being excluded.
The party argued that voter list revision must ensure transparency and protect the rights of eligible citizens.
Congress also demanded immediate suspension of the SIR exercise and sought restoration of voter names that it claimed were removed during the process.
The Election Commission has maintained that voter verification and revision exercises are conducted under existing laws and procedures to keep electoral rolls accurate.
The CWC resolution also raised questions over the functioning of the Election Commission, alleging that recent developments had created concerns about institutional independence.
Congress leaders referred to reports regarding differences among Election Commissioners and alleged that important decisions were being taken without adequate consultation.
The party claimed that the electoral system needed stronger transparency mechanisms to maintain public confidence.
The Election Commission has stated that internal discussions and differing views are part of institutional functioning and that final decisions are taken according to constitutional and legal frameworks.
The CWC meeting has added another major chapter to the ongoing political confrontation between the Congress and BJP over elections and democratic institutions.
Congress has positioned the issue around electoral accountability, voter rights and transparency.
The BJP has countered by defending the Election Commission and accusing Congress of attacking constitutional institutions for political reasons.
The dispute has transformed the SIR exercise into a larger political debate involving election reforms, institutional credibility and public trust.
Rahul Gandhi’s allegations regarding the electoral process have become a central issue in Congress’ political messaging. The party has repeatedly highlighted concerns related to voter lists, election management and transparency.
Congress leaders believe that raising these issues can strengthen their campaign among voters concerned about democratic processes. The BJP, however, has rejected these allegations and maintained that India’s election system remains independent and constitutionally protected.
