The Congress will hold a meeting of all AICC in-charges and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs in New Delhi on October 5 to discuss and finalise the party’s strategy for its proposed agitation against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The meeting comes at a time when tensions between the Opposition and the poll panel have increased over the revision of electoral rolls, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The Congress has accused the Election Commission of affecting the integrity of elections and has sought action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities. The Election Commission, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that electoral rolls are prepared according to established statutory procedures.
Kumar has also faced criticism from Opposition parties following a report by The Indian Express. The report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months over decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise and other electoral matters.
According to the report, an additional declaration linked to the previous SIR electoral roll was also added to online Form 6 on the ECINET portal. The declaration asked applicants whether they, their parents or grandparents were listed in the electoral roll prepared during the previous SIR.
The developments have further intensified the political dispute between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll body and the electoral-roll revision process.
Earlier on Wednesday, INDIA bloc leaders held a coordination meeting in New Delhi and announced a series of protests against the Election Commission.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Opposition parties would organise a nationwide ‘Save Democracy March’ at the district level from October 2 to 8.
Opposition MPs are also scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6. INDIA bloc leaders are likely to meet President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October to raise their concerns over the functioning of the poll panel.
Speaking at the coordination meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA bloc leaders were committed to seeking accountability over what they called threats to democratic institutions.
“It is the personal commitment of all INDIA leaders that we are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished,” Gandhi said. “It doesn’t matter how senior they are, who they are; Indian democracy is bigger than every single person in this country.”
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has continued to maintain that electoral rolls are prepared through statutory procedures. The poll panel has also taken steps to review the functioning of its ECINET platform.