Congress to hold CWC meet tomorrow to chalk out strategy for CEC’s ouster

• Kharge calls CWC meeting to discuss alleged differences within the EC over SIR and strategise on seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal

• Congress plans to intensify pressure, with the INDIA bloc also set to discuss a joint strategy and possible fresh removal notice in Parliament

• EC rejects claims of a split, saying SIR orders had unanimous approval and announcing measures including home visits, help desks and extended claim deadlines

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of the party’s Working Committee on Tuesday to discuss the reported differences within the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and chalk out the party’s strategy for seeking chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal.

Kharge said the Election Commissioners had raised concerns over the SIR process, changes relating to Form 6 for enrolment of new voters, additions and deletions from electoral rolls, and centralised control of the electoral-roll database.

Calling the issue “very serious”, Kharge said it concerned what he described as the survival of democracy and needed to be taken up on priority.

“I have called a Working Committee meeting for tomorrow, where we will discuss the issue and all the Working Committee members will give their suggestions,” Kharge told reporters.

“We are going to fight this seriously. This issue concerns the entire country, the existence of our democracy and the survival of our country. That is why we are very serious about this issue,” he said.

Kharge also alleged that the Election Commission was acting in line with the BJP’s interests, citing a claim involving the CEC and a former Kerala chief secretary. He said Kumar should resign and that the Congress would pursue action for his removal.

The CWC meeting, chaired by Kharge, is expected to be attended by former party chief Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Venugopal. Party sources said the meeting would discuss ways to step up pressure for Kumar’s removal and the Congress’s wider response to the Election Commission controversy. Preparations for upcoming elections are also likely to figure on the agenda.

The Congress has also alleged that young voters, including members of Gen Z, could be affected by the SIR exercise and has demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation.

The opposition INDIA bloc is separately expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss a joint strategy on the issue and may submit another notice in Parliament seeking Kumar’s removal.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected suggestions of a policy-level split within the poll panel. After a full-commission meeting on 26 September, the ECI said all orders relating to the SIR had received the unanimous approval of all three commissioners. It also said the declaration associated with Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The poll panel said differing views, written observations and internal checks are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body, while its orders and decisions carry legal sanction and follow established procedures. It also clarified that the reported correspondence involving the cabinet secretary was not related to any policy decision or the functioning of its IT division.

The ECI has meanwhile announced several measures aimed at easing the SIR process. These include home visits by booth level officers for voters who receive notices over unmapped records or logical discrepancies, help desks and special camps, and a continuous-updation route for people whose names are left out of the rolls, including young and first-time voters.

The commission has also extended the deadline for claims and objections in Delhi to 30 October and in Maharashtra to 12 October.

With PTI inputs