The Congress on Sunday escalated its attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of hiding information about the controversial ECINET software and claiming that its repeated refusal to share details would expose the “massive, centralised manipulation” carried out during the “disastrous” Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The opposition party also reiterated its demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down and that the SIR exercise be suspended immediately.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report which claimed that the ECI has declined to disclose the name and version of the software used to identify errors and anomalies in voter rolls during the SIR. The poll body reportedly cited “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” as grounds for exemption under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the ECI continues to “hide” information about the ECINET software at the “heart of the disastrous SIR, that has been used to centralise manipulation of the electoral rolls”. “Today, a leading national daily revealed that the ECI has refused to provide information on the software being used in the SIR in its response to a Right to Information (RTI) application. Using flimsy excuses, the ECI has refused to name the software being used in the SIR, or confirm whether AI is being used and what safeguards are in place,” he said.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, offered a sarcastic “heartfelt thank you” to the BJP and its allies for “promoting” the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally against ‘vote chori’ “so enthusiastically” and ensuring its call reaches as many people as possible. The rally is part of a series of opposition protests against the SIR and what the party describes as the CEC’s “poll irregularities”.
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alleged that people’s votes were being stolen, saying, “We will not tolerate this silently under any circumstances.” In a Hindi post on X, he added: “Names have been struck off the electoral rolls. Rules and laws have been flouted. And those who dared to ask questions were met with batons. Now, the nation will provide an answer.”
Announcing the “November 1st – Chalo Delhi” march and mega rally under the slogan ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’, Gandhi urged students, farmers, labourers, women, youth and traders to join. “The vote is yours. The fight is also yours,” he said, before adding a pointed postscript: “A heartfelt thank you to the BJP and its allies for promoting this event so enthusiastically and ensuring its call reaches as many people as possible. Just keep this same energy and dedication going for the next seven days.”
The Congress also accused the CEC of violating rules during the SIR, alleging that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance came to power in Maharashtra through electoral irregularities. Addressing a press conference as part of the ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ campaign, senior leader C P Joshi and Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad alleged unauthorised changes to voter forms and suspicious additions, including 40 lakh voters added in Maharashtra in just five months ahead of the assembly elections.
Joshi demanded that the ECI make public the minutes of its meetings, legal approvals and details of voters whose names were deleted. He alleged changes to Forms 6, 7 and 8 in violation of rules and claimed that the powers of electoral registration officers (EROs) had been taken away and given to Information Technology Director General Seema Khanna. He also questioned the transparency and legality of the SIR and the Commission’s decision-making, citing objections reportedly raised by two election commissioners. (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/10/26/congress-ec-hiding-ecinet-info-as-it-will-reveal-manipulation/
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Publish Date: 2026-10-26 07:40:00
