Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge outlines INDIA bloc demands for election commissioner resignation and paper ballots

NEW DELHI — Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday outlined three key demands put forward by the INDIA opposition bloc, calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and a return to paper ballots.

The announcement follows mounting opposition scrutiny over voter roll integrity, particularly concerning data transparency in Uttar Pradesh. According to Kharge, details regarding 16.18 lakh Form-6 applications in Uttar Pradesh have not been made public, while irregularities have been detected in records relating to 10,470 voters in Pilibhit. These concerns prompted authorities to order an investigation into Forms 6, 7, and 8 across the state. Forms 6, 7, and 8 are utilized for voter registration, objections or deletions, and corrections or changes to electoral roll entries, respectively.

Kharge accused the Narendra Modi administration of shielding Kumar despite alleged collusion between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India, alongside what he termed repeated revelations of vote theft. The opposition alliance further demanded the repeal of a 2023 law that grants legal protection to the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners under specific circumstances.

The opposition claims that the Election Commission refused to disclose information regarding the software deployed in the SIR exercise in response to an RTI request, citing trade secrets.

As part of its ongoing campaign, the INDIA bloc has announced plans to hold a “Save Votes–Save the Nation” march and mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1. Urging public participation, Kharge stated, “This is not just a fight to save votes; it is a people’s struggle to save the Constitution and democracy.”