Full Breakdown
Nationwide Protests Over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
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Core Event – Demands for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
On September 25, 2026, Congress workers and allied groups staged demonstrations in several states, calling for the resignation, removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protests followed an Indian Express report that two other Election Commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi—had formally objected at least 14 times over a 10-month period to decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Demonstrators faced police barricades, water-cannon and tear-gas; senior Congress leaders, including Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, were detained while attempting to cross police lines.
Timeline
- July 25, 2026 – CJP’s earlier Jantar Mantar agitation leads to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- September 9, 2026 – The Election Commission’s three-member panel holds its first full meeting in four months.
- September 24, 2026 – CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke issues a 48-hour ultimatum for Kumar’s resignation.
- September 25, 2026 – Nationwide Congress-led protests; detentions in Guwahati, Chandigarh, Patna and other cities.
- September 29 (scheduled) – Congress Working Committee to discuss the issue in New Delhi.
- October 2 (scheduled) – CJP threatens a nationwide “Jantar Mantar 2.0” protest from Mumbai if Kumar does not step down.
Data & Statistics
- CJP alleges more than 13 crore names were excluded from draft rolls in 30 states and Union territories during the SIR. State-wise exclusions cited include Maharashtra > 2 crore, Uttar Pradesh > 2 crore, Karnataka ? 1 crore, Tamil Nadu 97 lakh, West Bengal 90 lakh, Telangana 73 lakh, Delhi 47 lakh, Kerala 24 lakh.
- Congress-led Delhi campaign claims 47.6 lakh names deleted from Delhi’s rolls and 31.6 lakh voters issued discrepancy notices (unverified by independent sources).
Official Statements & Responses
- Congress (AICC): Demands Kumar’s resignation, an independent audit of the SIR, and a parliamentary motion for his removal. Spokesperson Bedabrata Bora called the detentions “forceful arrests” and a “threat to democracy.”
- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP): Founder Abhijeet Dipke issued three demands—Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours, criminal proceedings against him, and a freeze of the SIR with restoration of the January 2025 voter list. The party warned that failure to comply would trigger a nationwide “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation.
- Opposition: Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi labeled the SIR a “vote-theft” operation and urged a parliamentary impeachment motion.
Criticism & Opposition
- Rahul Gandhi: Asserted that the SIR constitutes “rigged” elections and that the CEC’s conduct undermines the constitutional right to vote.
- Vikrant Bhuria (Adivasi Congress): Supported Gandhi’s allegations, citing documented facts of voter-list manipulation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Deletion Figures: Congress’s Delhi claim of 47.6 lakh deletions differs from CJP’s nationwide estimate of over 13 crore exclusions. Neither figure has been independently verified.
- Nature of Internal Objections: The EC describes the 14 objections as routine “operational queries,” while CJP and opposition leaders present them as evidence of illegal, unilateral decisions by the CEC. No public release of the objection notes or the EC’s internal deliberations has been made, leaving the factual basis of the dispute unclear.
Why It Matters
The controversy strikes at the core of India’s electoral integrity. If the SIR excluded millions of eligible voters, the legitimacy of upcoming state and national elections could be questioned, potentially prompting legal challenges and a parliamentary impeachment motion. The dispute also highlights structural tensions within the Election Commission, a constitutionally independent body, and raises questions about the adequacy of internal checks when a single commissioner appears to dominate decision-making.
