The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday, 29 September convened in New Delhi to deliberate on what the party described as serious irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, resolving to launch nationwide protests against alleged malpractices by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The meeting set the stage for a broader opposition mobilisation, with an INDIA bloc allies' meeting scheduled for Wednesday to formalise a joint protest strategy.

Congress Demands and Key Allegations

Addressing reporters after the CWC meeting, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his immediate removal. Venugopal alleged that the CEC was acting at the direction of the Centre to disenfranchise crores of voters.

'The SIR is a complete fraud exercise. The CEC is completely compromised, the Election system is rigged, both the EVMs and the voters' lists are compromised — designed to favour the BJP in elections,' Venugopal claimed. He put forward two formal demands: the immediate resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and the suspension of the SIR exercise along with the restoration of the names of 13.30 lakh voters he alleged had been illegally struck off the electoral rolls.

Pan-India Protest Plan

Venugopal said the Congress would 'protest in the Parliament and resist on the streets,' though a detailed roadmap for the pan-India agitation would be finalised after Wednesday's INDIA bloc meeting. He noted that the party had already held demonstrations at more than 800 locations over the preceding two to three days.

'The democracy and the country are under threat under prevailing circumstances. We will fight tooth and nail and won't let EC succeed in its designs,' he said. The party indicated it would consult INDIA bloc partners before rolling out the full protest calendar, with all opposition parties expected to close ranks on the issue.

Rahul Gandhi's Role Cited

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, citing remarks made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the CWC meeting, said the party had been raising concerns about 'vote chori' and manipulation of electoral rolls for some time, but had not been taken seriously. Ramesh said Gandhi had made detailed presentations on alleged electoral malpractice — citing instances from the Karnataka and Haryana elections — and argued that recent disclosures had vindicated those concerns.

'Rahul Gandhi told the CWC members that it was because of the Congress party that such disclosures are being made,' Ramesh told reporters. 'Today, the disclosures show that what he was saying was right.'

Centre and CEC in the Crosshairs

Escalating the political attack, Venugopal alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was not acting independently but was 'a tool' in the hands of his 'political masters.' He further alleged that two Chief Election Commissioners had purportedly written to the Cabinet Secretary, and that this must have been brought to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

'Whenever dictators lose confidence, they try to find extraordinary tools to continue in power. This cannot happen without the concurrence of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,' Venugopal claimed. The Election Commission of India and the Centre had not issued a formal response to these allegations at the time of reporting.

What Comes Next

The INDIA bloc meeting on Wednesday is expected to be a critical juncture, with opposition parties likely to agree on a unified protest structure and possibly a joint statement demanding the CEC's removal. How the Election Commission and the government respond — and whether the SIR exercise is defended or modified — will determine whether this political confrontation intensifies ahead of upcoming state elections.