Full Breakdown
Congress Working Committee Demands Resignations Over Electoral Roll Controversy
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Core Event
On September 29, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi and adopted resolutions demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The CWC also called for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the restoration of 13.3 crore voter names it says were deleted.
Background & Context
The SIR process, launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clean electoral rolls, has become the focal point of the Congress’s “vote chori” campaign. Party leaders allege the exercise is being used to disenfranchise voters and that the CEC is acting as a “puppet” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Key Figures & Groups
- Mallikarjun Kharge – Congress president, chaired the CWC meeting.
- Rahul Gandhi – Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
- K.C. Venugopal – Congress General Secretary (Organisation).
- Gyanesh Kumar – Chief Election Commissioner.
- Narendra Modi – Prime Minister of India.
- Amit Shah – Union Home Minister.
- V. Ram Madhav – BJP national vice-president.
Timeline
- September 23 – *Indian Express* reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times in ten months to SIR-related decisions.
- September 26 – The full Election Commission issued a four-page note outlining nine decisions that addressed the commissioners’ concerns.
- September 29 – CWC meeting held; resolutions demanding resignations and suspension of SIR were adopted.
Data & Statistics
- The CWC resolution cites the removal of 13.3 crore (133 million) voter names from the rolls as a result of the SIR exercise.
- Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi recorded at least 14 objections over a ten-month period regarding SIR procedures (Indian Express, September 23).
Official Statements & Responses
- The Election Commission said all SIR decisions were taken with unanimous approval of the commission and that internal technical notes are a normal part of its deliberations.
- V. Ram Madhav (BJP) rejected the “vote chori” allegation as “baseless,” describing it as a “wild allegation” driven by fear of electoral defeat.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Names are being removed from voter lists through calculated conspiracies, and the Chief Election Commissioner has become a puppet of the Modi government,” — Mallikarjun Kharge, party chief
- “Gyanesh Kumar is only a tool. Whenever dictators lose the confidence of common voters, they will try to find special ways to stay in power. This exercise (SIR) could not happen without the concurrence of Modi and Amit Shah,” — Mr. Venugopal
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Congress points to the commissioners’ objections as evidence of internal dissent, while the Election Commission maintains that the objections were part of normal deliberation and that all final SIR orders were legally sanctioned. Independent verification of the 13.3 crore deletions cited by the CWC has not been released, leaving the scale of the alleged disenfranchisement unconfirmed.
What’s Next
The CWC indicated that the INDIA bloc will meet to finalize an agitation plan, including potential street protests and parliamentary motions, but no specific dates for those actions were provided in the sources.