PANAJI | SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 : Congress general secretary K C Venugopal has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing a report by The Indian Express about objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and election-data systems.
Speaking during the Congress’s ‘Goy Rakhonn Yatra’ in Goa, Venugopal said the reported objections vindicated concerns earlier raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about the functioning of the Election Commission and the handling of voter lists. He alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had led to deletion of voters’ names and questioned the manner in which electoral data was being managed.
Venugopal specifically referred to the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi, who, according to The Indian Express, had raised concerns on multiple occasions over matters including changes to Form 6, voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and the management of electoral-roll databases.
The Congress leader also alleged that in Goa, eligible voters faced difficulties getting their names restored to the electoral rolls and argued that greater transparency was required in the process.
Election Commission Responds
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of an institutional split, saying that all decisions of the Commission, including those concerning SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner and both Election Commissioners.
The clarification followed reports that Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions. The Commission said that written observations, differing views and technical suggestions by individual commissioners form part of its internal functioning and do not by themselves constitute separate Commission decisions.
What the Report Says
The Indian Express investigation reported that the two Election Commissioners had placed objections on record at least 14 times over 10 months, including concerns relating to voter registration, deletion of names, changes to Form 6 and the centralisation of electoral-roll systems.
The controversy has intensified the political debate over the ongoing SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission.
Goa Elections in Focus
With the 2027 Goa Assembly elections approaching, Venugopal said the Congress would continue to raise concerns regarding electoral rolls and the election process.
The Congress leader also expressed confidence about the party’s prospects in Goa, while the Election Commission’s position remains that its decisions on SIR have been unanimous.
