The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday deployed a group of its chief ministers and senior state leaders to respond to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The coordinated press conferences took place a day before the Congress planned district-level protests seeking Kumar’s removal.
The BJP said its leaders would address what it described as allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and defend the autonomy of the constitutional institution. The campaign came amid a political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reports about differences within the three-member Election Commission.
BJP Fields 12 Chief Ministers
According to the BJP, 12 chief ministers held press conferences in their respective states on Sunday. In states without BJP or National Democratic Alliance governments, state BJP presidents or Leaders of the Opposition addressed the issue instead.
The party said the coordinated outreach aimed to counter Rahul Gandhi’s allegations and explain its position on the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise.
The move also came as the Congress prepared for protests across districts. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal held a virtual meeting with more than 1,000 District Congress Committee presidents ahead of the planned demonstrations.
The BJP’s campaign placed the Election Commission dispute at the centre of a broader political confrontation between the ruling party and the Opposition.
Rahul Gandhi Questions Gyanesh Kumar
Rahul Gandhi has accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of failing to address concerns raised by the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
His allegations followed a September 23 report by The Indian Express, which said Sandhu and Joshi had objected to at least 14 decisions over a period of 10 months. The objections reportedly related to the ongoing SIR exercise and other election-related matters.
Gandhi subsequently demanded Kumar’s resignation or removal. He also alleged that the Prime Minister and Home Minister had protected the CEC from accountability. Gandhi connected the controversy with his broader allegations concerning manipulation of electoral rolls and what he calls “vote chori.”
The BJP has rejected these allegations and said the Election Commission has already clarified the issues raised by the Opposition.
Election Commission Says Decisions Were Unanimous
The Election Commission has addressed the controversy through official statements.
On Saturday, the three Election Commissioners met and the poll panel issued a detailed clarification. The Commission said its decisions relating to the SIR exercise were unanimous and that disagreements during internal discussions did not amount to formal dissent in the final decisions.
The BJP cited these statements while defending Kumar and the functioning of the poll panel.
The party said the Election Commission had responded to the Opposition’s allegations point by point. It also highlighted the fact that the three commissioners appeared together while issuing the latest clarification.
However, the Congress has continued to argue that important questions about the internal objections require further answers.
BJP Chief Ministers Attack Congress Claims
Several BJP chief ministers criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Congress during Sunday’s press conferences.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the allegations against the Election Commission were unfounded and accused Gandhi of targeting constitutional institutions. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also criticised the Opposition’s campaign around the SIR exercise.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the INDIA bloc of using the controversy for political purposes. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary defended the revision of electoral rolls and argued that voter-list verification remained necessary.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma questioned the Congress’s interpretation of the Election Commission’s decisions. Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accused the Congress of questioning the electoral process when it loses elections.
The statements formed part of the BJP’s wider effort to respond to Gandhi’s allegations through multiple state-level press conferences.
Opposition Continues to Raise Questions
Despite the BJP’s defence, the Congress has maintained its criticism of the Election Commission.
The party has demanded action against Gyanesh Kumar and called for the reversal of decisions taken under his tenure. Congress leaders have also questioned why objections reportedly raised by the other two commissioners did not prevent the disputed decisions from moving forward.
The Congress has linked the controversy to its wider campaign against the SIR process. It plans to hold district-level protests and continue raising concerns about voter-list revisions.
The disagreement therefore involves both the Election Commission’s internal decision-making process and the broader political debate over electoral rolls.
SIR Remains at the Centre of the Dispute
The Special Intensive Revision has emerged as one of the main points of contention between the BJP and Opposition parties.
The exercise seeks to revise electoral rolls. Supporters of the process argue that regular verification helps maintain accurate voter lists. Opposition parties, however, have raised concerns about the possible exclusion of eligible voters and the implementation of the process.
The Election Commission has defended the exercise and maintained that its decisions follow the established legal and constitutional framework. The latest clarification also sought to address questions surrounding the reported differences between the three commissioners.
Congress Plans Further Protests
While the BJP used Sunday’s coordinated press conferences to defend the Election Commission, the Congress prepared for another phase of its campaign.
K.C. Venugopal’s meeting with more than 1,000 district-level Congress leaders focused on the protests planned for Monday. The party has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and intends to continue highlighting the allegations surrounding the SIR process.
The competing campaigns show how the controversy has moved beyond the Election Commission itself and become a major political issue between the BJP and Congress.
Political Dispute Over Election Commission Intensifies
The latest confrontation comes at a time when the Election Commission faces scrutiny over the SIR exercise and reported differences among its members.
The BJP has relied on the Election Commission’s recent clarification to defend Gyanesh Kumar and argue that the final decisions received the approval of all three commissioners. The Congress, meanwhile, continues to question the circumstances surrounding the reported objections and has called for further accountability.
As both sides prepare for further political mobilisation, the debate is likely to remain focused on the functioning of the Election Commission, the revision of electoral rolls and the safeguards available to voters during the SIR process.
The dispute also places renewed attention on the importance of transparency in election administration and public confidence in the country’s electoral institutions.