Charge and answer

Cockroach Janta Party gives CEC 48 hours to resign

The Cockroach Janta Party demanded Gyanesh Kumar's resignation within 48 hours, an independent inquiry into SIR decisions, a halt to exclusions, repeal of the 2023 appointment law, and publication of the Commissioners' notes. On 25 September it said protests would begin on 2 October.

No response on record.

Rahul Gandhi: CEC should resign and 'turn approver'

At a press conference, Rahul Gandhi called the Prime Minister, Home Minister and CEC traitors, displayed photos of alleged 'conspirators', said Modi and Shah would one day be investigated, praised Sandhu and Joshi, and said Kumar turning approver would be an act of nationalism.

No response on record.

Report: two Commissioners objected on record 14 times in 10 months

The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi formally objected at least 14 times over ten months to decisions and orders they said were taken without their knowledge, on new-voter registration, deletions and restorations, West Bengal appeals and custody of the roll database, copying CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The Commission and both Commissioners did not respond to questions sent on 21 September.

Kejriwal demands CEC's arrest, scrapping of SIR and fresh elections

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal called the SIR illegal, accused the CEC of running the Commission single-handedly, and demanded his arrest, restoration of rolls from three years earlier and fresh elections in six states and Delhi.

No response on record.

Supriya Sule seeks all-party meeting; Sanjay Raut alleges Shah's hand

NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule called the rift dangerous for democracy and sought an all-party meeting. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut alleged the CEC acted on Home Minister Amit Shah's directions. Maharashtra Congress asked the Supreme Court to act suo motu.

No response on record.

Former CEC O P Rawat calls Form 6 change wrong and illegal

Former Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said the Form 6 change was wrong and illegal, called the internal division very serious and rare, and cautioned against software overriding field officers.

No response on record.

Opposition seeks CEC's removal, court-monitored probe, halt to SIR

In coordinated press conferences, opposition parties made three demands: remove the CEC, a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry, and a pause of the SIR. K C Venugopal, P Chidambaram, Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, M K Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Kapil Sibal spoke; Sibal said decisions taken without the majority should be void.

No response on record.

Priyanka Gandhi seeks independent probe; Kharge says Commission shut its doors

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that if the CEC knew of and allowed unfair elections it would be treason, and called for a transparent inquiry by an independent body. Mallikarjun Kharge said opposition questions about the Commission's role had been dismissed for years.

No response on record.

Rahul Gandhi: BJP, RSS and EC committed 'an act of treason'

Hours after the report, Rahul Gandhi posted on X that vote theft was a crime against Indians and a direct attack on the Constitution, and that the BJP, RSS and Commission who organised it had committed treason. The Congress called the CEC the Prime Minister's puppet.

No response on record.

Singhvi: CEC 'bulldozed' his colleagues, must resign; release dissent notes

Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said the report showed the CEC had sidelined his fellow Commissioners, citing the 1995 Supreme Court ruling that the Commission is a multi-member body, demanded Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and asked that all dissent notes be made public.

No response on record.

Uddhav Thackeray demands CEC's sacking and arrest, fresh ballot-paper polls

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded that Gyanesh Kumar be sacked and jailed, thanked Sandhu and Joshi, and sought fresh ballot-paper elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. He cited the net addition of 40.8 lakh electors in Maharashtra between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which the Commission has said was not abnormal.

No response on record.

Election Commissioner Sandhu flagged for SIR notice in Delhi, then validated

Records showed Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was among the 31.63 lakh Delhi electors sent SIR notices, flagged for a name mismatch. The Delhi Cantt ERO said his details had been verified and his entry validated for the final roll.

TMC's O'Brien seeks cancellation of results in 31 seats over SIR deletions

In an application before the Supreme Court, TMC MP Derek O'Brien sought cancellation of results in 31 West Bengal Assembly constituencies where, he argued, SIR deletions exceeded the margin of victory or defeat.

PIL argues Section 16 does not shield CEC over roll changes

Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a PIL arguing that CEC Gyanesh Kumar has no immunity under Section 16 for acts outside the discharge of official duty, and seeking criminal accountability over changes to Form 6, centralised roll control, Goa and West Bengal, based on the Indian Express reports.

No response on record.

Sandhu records DG (IT) has no legal authority to restrict roll officers

Sandhu recorded that CEOs, DEOs and EROs said they lacked proper and complete access to ERONet, that their powers had been curtailed by centralised control at DG (IT) level, and that the DG (IT) had no legal authority to restrict them. He directed full access immediately and asked the DG (IT) to certify it from all CEOs.

Report: online Form 6 on ECINET adds 'last SIR' question without rule change

By 11 July 2026 the online Form 6 on ECINET, the statutory form for new voters, carried an inserted 'declaration form' section asking whether the applicant's own name or a parent's or grandparent's name was in the last SIR roll, with booth and serial numbers. It was not marked mandatory but the form could not be submitted without answering. The downloadable paper Form 6 did not include it, and no amendment to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 had been notified. It applied in all SIR states except Bihar, and not in Assam.

23 opposition parties write to CJI that democracy is in jeopardy

Twenty-three opposition parties and independent MP Kapil Sibal wrote jointly to Chief Justice Surya Kant alleging manipulated elections and partisan conduct by the Commission and the CEC, and seeking judicial attention to the SIR. Signatories included Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. Jairam Ramesh made it public on 30 June.

No response on record.

TMC's Kalyan Banerjee alleges CEO-BJP understanding in Bengal poll

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged the ECI favoured the BJP and that there was a complete understanding between the former CEO and the BJP during the election.

No response on record.

CPI(M), BJP and SDPI criticise Kelkar posting

The CPI(M), BJP and SDPI accused Congress of double standards, noting it had condemned Agarwal's appointment in West Bengal; SDPI said the move undermined the neutrality of constitutional institutions.

TMC says Agarwal's appointment shows the 2026 poll was not fair

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said the 'neutral umpire' had been rewarded with the top bureaucratic post and questioned whether the Bengal election was free and fair.

Datta-Sharma bench begins hearing challenge; refuses Centre's adjournment

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma began hearing the petitions on 6 May 2026 and refused the Solicitor General's request to adjourn. Petitioners argued Sections 7 and 8 give the executive a decisive say, and on 7 May that the Act is worse than the pre-2023 position because it builds in an executive majority.

Opposition files fresh Rajya Sabha notice to remove CEC with nine charges

Seventy-three opposition MPs submitted a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha listing nine charges of 'proven misbehaviour' based on acts from 15 March 2026 onward, including alleged partisan enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and deletions in West Bengal. As of 24-25 September 2026 it was reported still pending, and a third notice was being drafted.

Congress dossier revives 2006 Kerala PWD case; vigilance says closed

A Congress dossier on CEC Gyanesh Kumar, as reported by Newslaundry, claimed that a vigilance probe linked to his time as Kerala PWD Secretary, opened after the chief project manager of a Malaysian road contractor died in November 2006, had stalled. No official finding against Kumar has been made public: replying to a Newslaundry RTI request, Kerala's Vigilance Department said an enquiry into alleged misappropriation across various projects had been conducted and closed after no irregularities were found.

No response on record.

Opposition submits first-ever notices to remove a CEC in both Houses

Opposition MPs submitted notices of motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar in the Lok Sabha (130 signatures) and Rajya Sabha (63), invoking Article 324(5), Section 11(2) of the 2023 Act and the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. The seven charges included 'proven misbehaviour', partisan conduct and mass disenfranchisement through SIR, and the notice called the selection process flawed, citing Rahul Gandhi's dissent note.

No response on record.

Goa final roll published without 97 voters EROs had found eligible

Goa's final SIR roll was published on 21 February 2026 without 97 electors whom EROs had found eligible after hearings under the court-ordered procedure. The Goa CEO's office wrote eight times between 11 and 17 February to the Commission, addressed to Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti and copied to DG (IT) Seema Khanna, asking for a rollback function in ECINET. On 18 February Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar wrote to the DG (IT) that the IT system could not block action required by the Supreme Court's directions.

Rahul Gandhi alleges 25 lakh fake voters in Haryana

Rahul Gandhi claimed there were 25 lakh fake voters in Haryana's rolls ahead of the 2024 Assembly election.

Reporters' Collective: deduplication software not used in Bihar SIR

The Reporters' Collective reported, citing a senior Commission official and four EROs, that the Commission did not run its duplicate-detection software on the Bihar SIR roll, and that its analysis found 14.35 lakh suspect duplicate entries in the final Bihar roll.

Priyank Kharge cites CEO letters to dispute ECI's Aland account

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge released a CID letter of 25 February 2025 and the CEO office's 14 March 2025 reminder to the ECI, saying they showed the Commission had not supplied the OTP and authentication details sought.

No response on record.

Rahul Gandhi alleges software-driven deletions in Aland, additions in Rajura

Rahul Gandhi alleged that 6,018 deletion applications in Aland, Karnataka, before the 2023 election were filed centrally using other voters' names and phone numbers, and that 6,850 names were added the same way in Rajura, Maharashtra. He said the Karnataka CID had written 18 letters in 18 months seeking IP, device and OTP data that the Commission did not provide, accused the CEC of protecting those responsible, and gave him a week to share the data.

BJP's Anurag Thakur alleges doubtful voters in opposition leaders' seats

At the BJP headquarters, BJP MP Anurag Thakur alleged irregular entries in seats won by opposition leaders, including Rae Bareli, Wayanad, Diamond Harbour and Kannauj, citing for example 47 voter IDs at one Rae Bareli house number, and asked Rahul Gandhi to explain. The Congress said this confirmed that flawed rolls exist.

No response on record.

At Bengaluru rally, Rahul Gandhi repeats Mahadevapura charge

At a 'Vote Adhikar' rally in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi repeated the 1,00,250 figure, asked the Commission to hand over electronic voter lists and ten years of videography, and asked the Karnataka government to investigate.

No response on record.

Rahul Gandhi alleges 1,00,250 fake voters in Mahadevapura segment

At a press conference, Rahul Gandhi presented Congress's analysis of the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central, which the BJP won by 32,707 votes in 2024. He alleged 1,00,250 bad entries: duplicate voters, fake or invalid addresses, bulk voters at single addresses, invalid photos and misuse of Form 6. Asked to sign a declaration, he said his public statement could be taken as an oath.

ECI orders suspension of four West Bengal roll officers after CEO probe

After a probe by the office of West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal into wrongful additions to rolls in Baruipur Purba and Moyna, the ECI directed the Chief Secretary to suspend two EROs and two AEROs and file FIRs against them and a data entry operator.

Tejashwi Yadav says his name is missing from Bihar draft roll

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav searched his EPIC number on the Commission's site at a press conference, said it returned 'not found', and accused the Commission of working for the BJP after the Bihar SIR draft roll was published on 1 August.

Rahul Gandhi says Congress has 'atom bomb' proof of vote theft

Speaking at Parliament House, Rahul Gandhi said a six-month Congress investigation had found proof that the Commission was engaged in 'vote chori' for the BJP, and warned officials involved that they would not be spared.

No response on record.

Rahul Gandhi says Maharashtra election was 'stolen' through new voters

Addressing Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs, Gandhi said about 1 crore voters differed between the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Maharashtra, and that the BJP won where new voters were added. He said the Commission had not given the voter list or polling-station video despite telling a court it would.

Rahul Gandhi asks Commission for machine-readable rolls and CCTV footage

Replying to the Commission's source-based rebuttal, Rahul Gandhi said a constitutional body should not answer through unsigned notes, and asked it to publish consolidated machine-readable voter rolls and release post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths.

Rahul Gandhi's op-ed alleges 'match-fixing' in 2024 Maharashtra election

In an Indian Express op-ed shared on X, Rahul Gandhi set out five steps he said were used to rig the November 2024 Maharashtra election, from the Election Commission appointment panel to adding voters and inflating turnout, and said Bihar would be next. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called the charge an attack on democratic institutions.

Rahul Gandhi makes public his dissent note on CEC appointment

Rahul Gandhi posted his dissent note, which said an independent Commission depends on how commissioners are chosen, that dropping the CJI violated the Supreme Court's order, and that the process should be deferred until the court ruled. He called a midnight decision while the case was pending disrespectful and discourteous.

Rahul Gandhi tells Lok Sabha the selection panel is 'two to one'

In the Lok Sabha in early February 2025, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said he would attend the selection meeting only to certify what the Prime Minister and Home Minister decided, and that removing the CJI from the committee looked like a calculated strategy.

No response on record.

Mamata Banerjee alleges fake voters via duplicate voter ID numbers

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that voters from states such as Haryana and Gujarat shared voter ID (EPIC) numbers with West Bengal voters, and accused the BJP of adding fake voters with the Commission's backing.

Congress says Haryana result 'not acceptable', cites counting and EVM issues

On counting day, Jairam Ramesh said the party could not accept the Haryana result and cited serious issues with counting and EVMs in around a dozen seats. Pawan Khera said some EVMs showed 99% battery after many rounds and went against Congress, while those at 60-70% favoured it. Kharge called the result unexpected.

Jairam Ramesh claims Amit Shah phoned 150 district magistrates before counting

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X that the Home Minister had called up DMs and collectors, 150 of them so far, and called it blatant intimidation ahead of the 4 June count.

Supreme Court seeks ECI reply on ADR plea to publish Form 17C in 48 hours

On an application filed by ADR on 9 May 2024 in its pending 2019 petition, a bench of CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Sanjiv Khanna gave the Commission a week to reply. ADR sought publication of polling-station-wise absolute votes from Form 17C Part I within 48 hours of each phase, and scanned Form 17C Part II after counting. Asked why it would not disclose the data, the Commission's counsel said compiling it took time.

Kharge writes to INDIA leaders questioning delayed turnout data

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to INDIA bloc leaders that the inordinate delay in releasing final turnout for the first two phases raised serious doubts about the data. He said the Commission should publish polling-station-wise turnout, and asked allies to protect the Commission's independence.

Opposition complains Modi's Banswara speech was divisive

Congress, CPI, CPI(ML) and civil society groups complained to the Commission that Prime Minister Modi's 21 April 2024 speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, was divisive and derogatory. The speech spoke of Congress redistributing wealth to 'infiltrators' and of 'mangalsutras'.

Adhir Chowdhury records dissent: 212 names overnight, six-name shortlist minutes before

Chowdhury said he was sent 212 names the night before the meeting and a six-name shortlist only eight to ten minutes before it began, despite asking for bio-profiles in advance. He said he recorded dissent on procedure, not on the individuals chosen.

Congress says Goel's resignation shows no transparency in the Commission

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said the party was deeply concerned and alleged there was no transparency in how the Commission functions or in how the government pressures it. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury called the timing very concerning.

Congress files complaints that Modi and Shah speeches broke the model code

Congress lodged complaints with the Commission from 1 April 2019 onward alleging that speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Commission's advisories against using the armed forces in campaigning. The speeches cited included Modi at Wardha (1 April), Latur/Ausa (9 April), and Patan and Barmer (21 April), and Shah at Nagpur (9 April).

BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad says Rahul Gandhi distorts facts on Commission

In Patna, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Rahul Gandhi spoke without facts and noted that Gyanesh Kumar did not head the Commission at the time of the 2023 Karnataka election that the Aland charge concerns.

No response on record.

PRS flags government dominance of selection panel in its bill analysis

PRS Legislative Research's analysis of the bill noted that the selection committee would have a government majority, that a vacancy clause could leave only government members selecting, that tying pay to the Cabinet Secretary lets the executive fix it, and that restricting eligibility to Secretary-rank officers may exclude other candidates.

No response on record.