The political confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission of India has intensified over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the ECINet system.
On Friday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Election Commission of making false claims about ECINet and alleged that restrictions placed on Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) violated provisions of election law. He also demanded accountability for what the party described as violations of the law and Constitution.
Ramesh described the Election Commission’s September 26 press note as an exercise in “damage control but actually damage enhancing.”
Congress Questions ECINet Compliance
Ramesh said the Election Commission had announced a committee to review whether ECINet complies with the relevant Acts and Rules.
He questioned why such a review was necessary if, as the Election Commission had previously stated, the system had already been developed in full compliance with the Constitution, the Representation of the People Acts and the Registration of Electors Rules.
The Congress leader alleged that the Election Commission's earlier assurances about the legality of ECINet were incorrect. These are political allegations made by Congress and have not been established as findings by a court.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has said that field officers have role-based access to ECINet according to their statutory powers. It has also announced a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner, with an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, to review the system's compliance with election laws and rules.
Dispute Over Powers of Electoral Registration Officers
A major part of the controversy concerns the role of EROs in the voter-list revision process.
Ramesh alleged that limiting ERO access to the ECINet voter-roll system and overriding decisions of EROs in states including Goa and West Bengal amounted to violations of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
According to the Congress leader, these laws give EROs statutory authority over electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has maintained that its systems operate within the statutory framework. Its September 26 announcement said field officers have role-based access based on their statutory powers and that further flexibility would be introduced wherever required.
Maharashtra Raises ECINet Concerns
The controversy has also involved Maharashtra.
According to Congress, Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer wrote to the Election Commission on September 24 seeking changes to the functioning of ECINet.
The issue has received wider attention amid the ongoing SIR process and questions about how electoral officers make decisions through the digital system. Reports have said the Maharashtra CEO sought changes intended to ensure that EROs can exercise their statutory responsibilities through the software.
The Election Commission has since announced several measures concerning SIR and ECINet, including a technical review of the portal.
Opposition Plans Protests Over SIR
The Congress has also announced that opposition parties, citizens and civil society groups would take their campaign against the Election Commission to the streets.
The INDIA bloc has discussed joint protests and marches over SIR and alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revision. Opposition parties have also raised demands concerning the Chief Election Commissioner and called for greater scrutiny of the electoral process.
The broader dispute intensified after reports of differences within the Election Commission over decisions connected to SIR. The Election Commission has said that differing views during institutional deliberations are normal and that its decisions follow established legal procedures.
Election Commission Announces Changes
The Election Commission's September 26 press note outlined several measures in response to concerns surrounding SIR.
For voters who received notices because of unmapped records or logical discrepancies, Booth Level Officers will visit their homes to collect documents and upload them to ECINet for consideration by the ERO. The Commission said such voters would generally not need to appear personally for a hearing, except in cases where the ERO considers one necessary.
The Commission also announced that an expert committee would review ECINet and check its compliance with relevant laws and rules. It said upgrades to the portal had already been made based on feedback from state Chief Electoral Officers.
Political Fight Over Electoral Process Continues
The ECINet controversy has now become part of a wider political battle over SIR and the conduct of elections.
Congress has demanded accountability and continued to question the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revisions. The Election Commission, for its part, has defended its procedures and announced technical and administrative measures to address concerns.
