'Nothing can save Gyanesh Kumar; ECI along with its IT system has to be thoroughly revamped': Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of enabling "Vote Chori" by denying political parties searchable electoral rolls for eight years. He demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for a complete halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh stated, "Over the past two years, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party have been persistent, insistent and consistent in demanding that the Election Commission of India provide electoral rolls in searchable format to all political parties. The demand was repeatedly refused by the ECI, which stopped providing searchable voter rolls in 2018 when the Congress found lakhs of bogus voters in Madhya Pradesh. The demand was denied for 8 years to enable Vote Chori."

Highlighting a recent regulatory directive issued by the election watchdog, Ramesh noted, "On Oct 15, 2026, the ECI issued an order that electoral rolls will be provided in searchable format to political parties for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) - resumed after a gap of two years in 17 states and UTs. This is because the whole nation is on the streets against the Vote Chors."

The ECI had earlier directed 17 States and Union Territories to initiate a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, designating January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.

Alleging that the Modi administration modifies its strategies whenever irregularities are uncovered, the Congress General Secretary accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of operating under political directive.

"Every time Vote Chori is caught, the Modi Govt adopts a new tactic: stopping readable voter rolls, fake voter additions, SIR. But not this time. Nothing can save the CEC Gyanesh Kumar, who, acting on the instructions of the PM and the HM, has destroyed public trust and confidence in the ECI. He simply has to go. But that alone will not be enough. The ECI itself, along with its IT system, has to be thoroughly revamped. The SIR, which has put the Constitutional right to vote for over 13 crore Indians at risk, has to be suspended forthwith," Ramesh added. (ANI)