New Delhi, Oct 2: The Congress has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of making misleading claims about its ECINet portal and alleged violations of electoral laws. Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh demanded accountability over what he described as violations of the law and the Constitution.
Ramesh referred to an ECI press note issued on September 26, 2026, which said a committee would examine and certify that ECINet complies with the relevant laws and rules.
He questioned why such a certification was required after the portal had already been described as legally compliant when it was launched.
Congress Questions ECINet’s Legal Compliance
ECINet was launched on January 22, 2026, with the Election Commission stating that the platform was aimed at improving transparency, credibility and public trust in the electoral process.
According to Ramesh, the ECI had said at the time of the launch that ECINet had been developed in accordance with the Constitution, the Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Ramesh disputed this claim and alleged that the functioning of the portal had raised questions about compliance with these laws.
Congress Raises Questions Over ERO Powers
The Congress leader alleged that restricting Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) from accessing the ECINet voter-roll system, and allegedly overriding EROs in states such as Goa and West Bengal, amounted to a violation of statutory provisions.
He argued that the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 establish the statutory role of EROs in preparing and maintaining electoral rolls.
Ramesh also referred to a September 24, 2026 letter from the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer to the ECI, which he said sought correction of what he described as an illegal situation.
INDIA Bloc Announces Protests Over Electoral Issues
The Congress has said that opposition parties, citizens and civil society organisations would hold protests across the country demanding accountability over the alleged violations.
The INDIA bloc has also announced joint “Save Democracy” marches across districts and five major rallies. The opposition grouping has raised concerns over voter-list revisions and called for faster hearings on cases related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged electoral irregularities.
Opposition MPs are scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6, while opposition leaders are also expected to meet the President to raise their concerns about alleged irregularities in voter-list revision.
The opposition parties have additionally discussed the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Election Commissioners Raise Concerns Over SIR
The ECINet controversy comes amid a wider political dispute over the SIR process.
The Indian Express recently reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over a period of 10 months to decisions and orders related to SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of institutional wrongdoing. It has said that differences of opinion and observations are a normal part of deliberations within an institution and maintained that its orders have full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.
The controversy over ECINet, electoral-roll management and SIR is therefore likely to remain a major issue in the political debate over the functioning and transparency of India’s electoral system.
