Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday, 26 September sharpened his attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s vocal praise for the poll panel chief and alleging that the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) under his leadership had raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

Gogoi's Attack on BJP Praise for CEC

Addressing reporters in Nagaon, Assam, Gogoi took direct aim at BJP Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal Samik Bhattacharya's reported remarks that Kumar deserved the Padma Bhushan. Gogoi argued that such commendation exposed where the ruling party's sympathies lay. 'Padma Bhushan? The BJP will make him the President,' Gogoi said, alleging that BJP leaders had consistently shielded the CEC from criticism.

Allegations of an 'IT Cell' Inside the Election Commission

Gogoi went further, claiming that questions had been raised even by officials within the poll panel over its internal functioning. He alleged that an 'IT cell' had taken shape within the office of the Chief Election Commissioner and was reportedly influencing decisions over electoral rolls. 'Now, Gyanesh Kumar's IT cell will determine whether or not a new 18-year-old voter gets included in the electoral roll,' he said. The allegation, if substantiated, would represent a significant charge against the autonomy of the constitutional body — though no independent evidence was presented at the press conference.

Voter List Controversy and the 'Booth Capturing' Comparison

Gogoi also linked the electoral-roll controversy to a broader pattern of alleged electoral malpractice. Drawing a comparison with historical complaints of booth capturing, he alleged that the ruling party now sought control over voter lists themselves. 'We used to hear about booth capturing or the seizure of ballot boxes; now, the BJP wants to capture the entire voter list itself,' he alleged.

Congress Demand: Resign or 'Turn Approver'

Reiterating the Congress party's demand for Kumar's resignation, Gogoi invoked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's earlier call for the CEC to 'turn approver' — a phrase from criminal-law parlance suggesting Kumar should publicly reveal who is directing allegedly unlawful decisions. 'Gyanesh Kumar should openly reveal who is making him carry out illegal and unconstitutional acts, and who is issuing the directives that have shattered the integrity of the Election Commission of India,' Gogoi said. Notably, neither the Election Commission nor the BJP had issued an immediate official response to the allegations at the time of reporting. The remarks come amid a continuing standoff between the Congress and the ECI over electoral-roll management and the poll panel's independence.