SIR row: Karnataka Congress protests demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
Synopsis
Karnataka Congress has announced protests demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging the SIR process deleted over 1.07 crore voters in Karnataka alone — with minorities, Dalits, and EWS communities disproportionately affected. The row escalates a national controversy over the Election Commission's internal functioning and unilateral decision-making.
Key Takeaways
Hariprasad announced a protest at Freedom Park, Bengaluru on Saturday, 26 September 2026 .
Congress demands the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged SIR irregularities.
The SIR process allegedly deleted 1.07 crore voters in Karnataka , 91 lakh in West Bengal , and 63 lakh in Bihar .
Congress claims it holds 65,000 applications for deleted voter names, many without signatures and disproportionately from minority and Dalit communities .
Hariprasad alleged CEC Gyanesh Kumar overruled objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on multiple occasions.
District-level protests are planned in a second phase; Congress has invited all pro-democracy parties to join.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Friday, 25 September 2026, announced a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Saturday, demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad said the party would also extend the protests to all districts in a second phase, inviting political parties that 'believe in democracy' to join the agitation.
Key Allegations Against the SIR Process
Hariprasad alleged that decisions related to the SIR process had been taken unilaterally by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, despite objections from the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. He cited media reports indicating that both commissioners had raised objections on multiple occasions. Hariprasad further alleged that Form 6 — used for voter registration — was modified despite these objections.
The KPCC president claimed that the SIR exercise had resulted in the deletion of 63 lakh voters in Bihar, 91 lakh in West Bengal, and 1.07 crore in Karnataka alone. He argued that the process would disproportionately affect the voting rights of minorities, Dalits, and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Evidence Cited by Congress
Hariprasad said the party was in possession of 65,000 applications relating to deleted voter names, claiming that several of these did not carry signatures. The party's own examination of the applications, he alleged, showed that a large proportion of the deleted names belonged to minority and Dalit communities.
He specifically alleged that attempts to delete voters had occurred in Babaleshwar and Hubballi-Dharwad. The KPCC president maintained that the problem lay not in the electoral rolls themselves but in the SIR process being conducted by the Election Commission of India.
Congress Takes Aim at BJP's Defence of Election Commission
Hariprasad also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for defending the Election Commission amid mounting questions about its functioning. 'When we question the Election Commission, the Commission itself should answer. But it is the BJP leaders who are responding,' he said.
He demanded a comprehensive and independent review of the SIR process, alleging that the Election Commission's actions amounted to undermining the Constitution and democratic institutions.
Election Commission's Position
The Election Commission has previously stated that differing views among its commissioners are part of its internal deliberations and that decisions are taken through the prescribed institutional process. The commission has not issued a fresh response to the specific allegations raised by Congress at Friday's press conference.
What Comes Next
The Congress is expected to hold the Freedom Park protest on Saturday, 26 September 2026, followed by district-level demonstrations in the second phase. The SIR controversy has broader national implications, with large-scale voter deletions reported across multiple states, and is likely to intensify scrutiny of the Election Commission ahead of upcoming state and national electoral cycles.
Point of View
But the party has not yet placed that evidence before a court or independent body. The more structurally significant allegation is the internal one: that two of three Election Commissioners were overruled, which — if accurate — would represent a serious breakdown in the collegial functioning the commission depends on. The BJP's reported defence of the commission without addressing the substance only deepens the perception problem. Until the Election Commission responds directly to the allegations rather than retreating to procedural language, the damage to public trust will compound.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIR row that Karnataka Congress is protesting against?
The SIR row concerns alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India, which Congress says resulted in the deletion of over 1.07 crore voters in Karnataka, with minorities, Dalits, and EWS communities allegedly the worst affected. The KPCC has demanded the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the controversy.
Why is Congress demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?
Congress alleges that CEC Gyanesh Kumar took decisions on the SIR process unilaterally, overruling objections from the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, including a modification to Form 6. The party argues this undermines the collegial functioning of the commission and amounts to an attack on democratic institutions.
How many voters were allegedly deleted under the SIR process?
According to KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad, the SIR exercise deleted 1.07 crore voters in Karnataka, 91 lakh in West Bengal, and 63 lakh in Bihar. Congress claims the deletions disproportionately targeted minority, Dalit, and Economically Weaker Sections communities.
What has the Election Commission said about the SIR controversy?
The Election Commission has previously stated that differing views among its commissioners are part of its internal deliberations and that decisions are taken through the prescribed institutional process. It has not yet issued a direct response to the specific allegations raised at Friday's press conference.
What are Congress's next steps in its protest against the SIR process?
Congress plans to hold a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Saturday, 26 September 2026, followed by district-level demonstrations across Karnataka in a second phase. The party has invited all political parties that 'believe in democracy' to join the agitation and has also called for a comprehensive independent review of the SIR process.
