Full Breakdown
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Calls for Election Reforms and Fresh Ballot-Paper Polls
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Core Demands and Planned Agitations
On October 5 2026, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced three “non-negotiable” demands: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the annulment of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the conduct of all elections on ballot paper instead of electronic voting machines. He said Congress workers and partners in the INDIA bloc were protesting nationwide and pledged support to civil-society groups and youth organisations.
Kharge also outlined a “Save Democracy March” programme, with district-level actions from October 2 to October 8 2026. Opposition MPs are scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6, and opposition leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October.
Background to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
The SIR is a periodic exercise to update electoral rolls. A report by *The Indian Express* cited objections by Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who recorded 14 concerns over the past ten months regarding draft files, voter deletions, and database access. The Election Commission (EC) rejected claims that these objections indicated institutional dissent, stating the queries were part of normal administrative deliberations and that the SIR schedule was decided unanimously.
Official Statements & Responses
The EC maintained that its decisions on the SIR were legally sound and that internal queries did not constitute dissent, emphasizing that all orders were issued under established statutory procedures.
The BJP responded by labeling Kharge’s remarks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and all state chief ministers were “illegal” as an insult to the people’s mandate. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned Kharge’s legality and defended the Constitution.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Congress Party's 3 demands are non-negotiable. First, the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Second, the annulment of SIR. Third, conducting elections on Ballot Paper,” — Mallikarjun Kharge
- “Whoever Civil Society Members and Youth Organisations are struggling on these issues in various places across the country, we stand with them” — Mallikarjun Kharge
Timeline
- September 30 2026 – INDIA bloc issues the three demands.
- October 2 2026 – Nationwide “Save Democracy March” announced.
- October 5 2026 – Kharge reiterates demands and condemns alleged BJP harassment of female journalists.
- October 6 2026 (scheduled) – Opposition MPs to march to the Election Commission.
- October 8 2026 (scheduled) – Continuation of district-level protests.
What’s Next
The scheduled October 6 march and the broader protest programme through October 8 will test the EC’s response. The Congress party has indicated it will continue agitations every few days and pursue legal avenues, though Kharge expressed doubt about the feasibility of legal recourse given the current institutional environment.