Paswan added that while the Opposition’s job was to do politics, the commission must maintain the people’s trust.

Published on: Sep 26, 2026, 07:08:26 IST

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Pressure mounted on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday as the Opposition hit the streets and some National Democratic Alliance members demanded answers even as a petition was filed in the Supreme Court demanding prosecution of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The developments came days after an investigation said election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 and even written to the cabinet secretary. It also alleged that election officials found their access to the ECI software curtailed by the central IT team.

ECI has said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation and that all its digital platforms operated under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation.

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But questions continued to simmer, including from within the ruling coalition.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan asked Kumar to firmly and publicly clarify ECI’s position. “If questions are being raised on the Election Commission’s conduct… the responsibility lies with the CEC to present his stance clearly. It is problematic if people begin to doubt the electoral process itself. The EC needs to present its stance, not to Rahul Gandhi, but to the public,” he said.

Paswan added that while the Opposition’s job was to do politics, the commission must maintain the people’s trust.

Another ally, Rashtriya Lok Manch chief Upendra Kushwaha, also demanded answers. “A great deal of confusion has arisen among the public regarding the controversy related to SIR. The matter needs to be addressed. To dispel the confusion, the Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification on the correct position,” he said on X in Hindi.

The Congress staged protests in Delhi and at least 11 states and UTs, attempting to march towards state election commission offices demanding Kumar’s arrest, removal from office, and an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made under him. The party also accused ECI of harming voter equality by creating a specific ‘Mark VIP’ feature in the BLO application. Several senior leaders, including Assam Congress Chief Gaurav Gogoi and Haryana MP Deepender Hooda were detained as police used barricades to stop them in various state capitals.

Congress workers and leaders, including lawmakers and state unit chiefs, staged protests against EC across states, raising slogans over alleged “vote theft”. The agitators attempted to breach police barricades and march towards state election offices, prompting police to use water cannons. Several workers and leaders were also briefly detained.

“Today, citizens and Congress workers hit the streets demanding accountability over the capture of their fundamental right to vote and the Chief Election Commissioner’s diabolical mischief. The frightened Modi Govt has cracked down on protesters and detained Congress leaders and workers, young citizens and students, and civil society activists – in so many places across the country,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

The Cockroach Janata Party renewed its call for a protest. “If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India. This Gandhi Jayanti let’s pledge to save democracy,” CJP founder Abhijit Dipke said on X.

earlier this week that the Opposition was preparing to bring an impeachment notice against Kumar. The Opposition had already submitted two impeachment notices against Kumar—on March 12 and April 24 this year. The Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla had rejected the first notice, but the other notice is still pending.

“We all want him (Gyanesh Kumar) to resign and be arrested. This is injustice; democracy is being murdered,” Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said.

A row also broke out over Supreme Court judge, justice Satish Chandra Sharma, after opposition leaders cited reports to allege that his son was on four government advocate panels, including one by ECI.

Justice Sharma was part of two separate benches this week, one that referred challenges to the 2023 law governing the selection of CEC and ECs to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for setting up a constitution bench, and another that stayed an Allahabad High Court order directing ₹5 lakh compensation be recovered from Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam and other officials over a student activist’s detention. Roopam is Kumar’s daughter.

“Hon’ble Chief Justice of India – Siddharth Sharma, son of Justice Sharma practices in Jabalpur, is empanelled by @ECISVEEP, has appeared for them. How can his father hear Gyanesh Kumar CEC’s case? How can he be put out of turn to give relief to CEC daughter?” Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra asked on X.

A statement issued by the Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC) also took note of reports pointing out that the order passed by bench of justices Sharma and N Kotiswar Singh on September 23 granting relief to Roopam was heard despite justice Sharma not having the roster to hear matters on “Habeas Corpus and Preventive Detention”. The Judges’ Roster issued by the Supreme Court assigned this category of cases to a bench headed by justice BV Nagarathna.

In the apex court, a plea was filed seeking Kumar’s prosecution over alleged unilateral decision-making in ECI, “centralisation of electoral-roll data through ECINet” and actions allegedly resulting in the exclusion of eligible voters.

The plea – filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi – also named senior deputy election commissioner Maneesh Garg, director general of IT Seema Khanna and other officials for alleged breaches of official duty.

The petitioner alleged that Form 6 – used by new voters to enroll themselves – was changed on the ECINet portal to make disclosure of “last SIR” details mandatory for first-time voters. He says this was done despite the two election commissioners recording that the statutory form could not be amended without a formal amendment to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

“Defying this binding majority, Respondent No. 3, acting in concert with Respondent No. 6 (DG-IT), altered Form 6 digitally on the ECINet portal in July 2026”, the plea said.

It also alleged that 97 electors in Goa, who were found eligible for inclusion in the rolls, could not be restored because ECINet lacked a “rollback/reversal” facility. In West Bengal, the petitioner alleged that 1.6 million appeals were filed in the name of ECI against electors whose inclusion was confirmed by judicial officers. The plea alleged that the two other election commissioners and the West Bengal CEO had no knowledge or authorisation for these appeals.

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