Pressure mounted on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday as the Opposition hit the streets and some National Democratic Alliance members demanded answers even as a petition was filed in the Supreme Court demanding prosecution of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
It also alleged that election officials found their access to the ECI software curtailed by the central IT team. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan asked Kumar to firmly and publicly clarify ECI’s position. “If questions are being raised on the Election Commission’s conduct… the responsibility lies with the CEC to present his stance clearly. It is problematic if people begin to doubt the electoral process itself. Another ally, Rashtriya Lok Manch chief Upendra Kushwaha, also demanded answers. “A great deal of confusion has arisen among the public regarding the controversy related to SIR. The matter needs to be addressed. The party also accused ECI of harming voter equality by creating a specific ‘Mark VIP’ feature in the BLO application. Several senior leaders, including Assam Congress Chief Gaurav Gogoi and Haryana MP Deepender Hooda were detained as police used barricades to stop them in various state capitals. The agitators attempted to breach police barricades and march towards state election offices, prompting police to use water cannons. Several workers and leaders were also briefly detained.
The developments came days after an Indian Express investigation said election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 and even written to the cabinet secretary. The Congress staged protests in Delhi and at least 11 states and UTs, attempting to march towards state election commission offices demanding Kumar’s arrest, removal from office, and an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made under him.
ECI has said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation and that all its digital platforms operated under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation. The EC needs to present its stance, not to Rahul Gandhi, but to the public,” he said. To dispel the confusion, the Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification on the correct position,” he said on X in Hindi. Congress workers and leaders, including lawmakers and state unit chiefs, staged protests against EC across states, raising slogans over alleged “vote theft”. The frightened Modi Govt has cracked down on protesters and detained Congress leaders and workers, young citizens and students, and civil society activists – in so many places across the country,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.
“Today, citizens and Congress workers hit the streets demanding accountability over the capture of their fundamental right to vote and the Chief Election Commissioner’s diabolical mischief.
