The Opposition INDIA bloc is stepping up its campaign against the Election Commission, with the alliance planning a march to the poll body’s office in Delhi and a larger programme of protests over what it calls “vote chori”.

The move comes amid a continuing dispute between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The INDIA bloc is also discussing a wider nationwide agitation, with public rallies and protests planned in different parts of the country. The alliance is expected to finalise its broader action plan during its meeting in Delhi.

INDIA bloc plans wider protest campaign

The Opposition alliance has been intensifying its criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following reports about differences among Election Commissioners over decisions related to electoral rolls.

The Congress Working Committee has already demanded the removal of Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc is now considering coordinated action against the Chief Election Commissioner and the Centre.

The proposed campaign includes protests and public rallies across the country. A major rally in Delhi is also being planned as part of the Opposition’s wider mobilisation.

Opposition’s allegations against poll panel

The Opposition has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the revision and preparation of electoral rolls and has repeatedly used the term “vote chori” while raising its concerns.

Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the poll panel’s actions have helped the BJP gain an advantage. The Election Commission and the government have rejected the Opposition’s criticism and defended the electoral process and the SIR exercise.

The dispute has intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on several occasions over decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

INDIA bloc meeting to decide next steps

Leaders of more than 20 Opposition parties are taking part in discussions on the next phase of the campaign. Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are representing the party.

Other INDIA bloc constituents are also participating, while some parties have decided to support the Opposition’s position without attending the meeting.

The alliance is discussing both street protests and parliamentary action against the Chief Election Commissioner. The Congress has demanded his removal, while other Opposition parties have backed the broader campaign over the Election Commission row.

The INDIA bloc’s proposed march and rallies are part of its continuing effort to put pressure on the poll panel over electoral-roll revisions and its allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.

The Election Commission has removed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related declaration from the online version of Form 6 on its ECINET portal in states where the SIR process has concluded.

The change comes days after the poll panel said that the standard forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 would be used outside the SIR period. The latest move follows objections raised by two Election Commissioners over the inclusion of the additional declaration in Form 6.

What was the SIR declaration in Form 6?

Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The online version of the form had earlier included an additional declaration linked to the SIR exercise.

The section asked applicants to indicate whether their own name, or that of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the electoral roll during the previous SIR. According to earlier reporting, applicants could not proceed with the online application without responding to the question, even though the section itself was not marked as mandatory.

The statutory Form 6, however, had not itself been amended when the additional section was introduced on the ECINET portal.

Two Election Commissioners had objected

Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the change in Form 6.

According to internal records cited in the report, both commissioners had argued that statutory forms could not be changed without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. They had also called for the additional declaration to be removed.

The objections were part of a wider series of disagreements recorded by the two commissioners over various decisions connected with the SIR exercise and electoral-roll management.

Declaration removed where SIR has concluded

The latest change does not mean that the SIR-related provision has been removed everywhere. The report says the declaration has been taken off the online Form 6 in states where the SIR process has concluded, while the provision remains in states where the exercise is still underway.

The development follows an Election Commission meeting on September 26, when the poll panel said that forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules would apply outside the SIR period. The Commission also announced a review of the ECINET system to check its compliance with the relevant laws and rules.

The ECINET review committee is headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and includes an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, according to the Commission’s announcement.

Wider questions over SIR process

The Form 6 issue is part of a broader debate over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise. The two Election Commissioners have formally recorded objections on multiple occasions, including over changes to voter-registration procedures and aspects of electoral-roll management.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has said that its SIR-related decisions were taken unanimously and has announced several procedural and technology-related measures amid the controversy.

A discussion on the Opposition alliance and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s political move led to a sharp exchange between senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh at the Congress Working Committee meeting.

During the meeting, Mr Digvijaya Singh raised the issue of Nitish Kumar and argued that the Congress and its allies should have been able to retain him within the Opposition alliance, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Sonia Gandhi responded firmly, saying that Nitish Kumar had “betrayed” the Opposition bloc and that it was better that he had left when he did.

The exchange came during a wider CWC discussion on the Congress’s political strategy and the recent electoral landscape.

Digvijaya Singh raises Nitish Kumar issue

Digvijaya Singh also argued in favour of restoring ballot papers in elections during the meeting, according to the account of the discussions. His remarks on Nitish Kumar were part of the internal deliberations on the Opposition’s political strategy.

The discussion reflected differing views within the Congress on how the party and its allies should have approached Nitish Kumar’s association with the Opposition bloc.

Sonia Gandhi’s response

Sonia Gandhi disagreed with the suggestion that the Opposition should have retained Nitish Kumar.

She said that Kumar had betrayed the Opposition bloc and indicated that his departure from the alliance was better for the Opposition than continuing with him, according to the report of the CWC proceedings.

The exchange took place during the Congress’s broader discussions on electoral issues and its political approach.