Jairam Ramesh Slams CEC Over West Bengal Voter Enrollment
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accuses CEC Gyanesh Kumar of shamelessness following new voter enrollment directives in West Bengal.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh launched a blistering attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "shamelessness" regarding recent electoral directives in West Bengal.
The confrontation erupted after a press note was issued by the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer on October 12, 2026. Ramesh took to the social media platform X to express his outrage, suggesting that the ECI's current actions are part of a pattern of irregularities that have affected previous state assembly elections.
Allegations of Electoral Fraud
Ramesh did not hold back in his criticism, linking the current administrative moves to past election outcomes. "After having delivered the assembly election to the BJP in a brazenly fraudulent manner, the CEC has had this Press Note issued," Ramesh stated. He added, "There is no limit to Gyanesh Kumar’s shamelessness."
The press note in question revealed that the ECI had instructed 24 District Election Officers to launch a proactive campaign. The goal, according to the directive, is to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded from the electoral rolls, which includes the organization of special camps to facilitate enrollment.
Legal Battles and the INDIA Bloc's Stand
This verbal onslaught comes amidst a period of intense legal and political friction between the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the election body. The tension has moved into the judicial arena, with recent developments including:
- Supreme Court Writ Petition: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and nine other INDIA bloc leaders filed a petition challenging the ECI's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
- Registry Defects: On October 13, the Supreme Court Registry flagged 14 defects in the aforementioned writ petition.
- Naming Officials: The petitioners have sought clarity on the roles of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners S.S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, naming them as private parties in the case.
The opposition's grievances are not limited to West Bengal. The INDIA bloc recently organized a "March for Democracy" to the Supreme Court to protest ECI decisions and demand an independent audit of voter deletions.
Violations of Election Laws Alleged
Earlier in October, the Congress party leveled serious accusations against the ECI, claiming the commission violated the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Specifically, the party alleged that the commission had restricted Electoral Registration Officers from accessing the ECINet system.
While the Election Commission of India has consistently maintained that its orders are legally sanctioned and strictly follow established statutory procedures, the pressure on the commission continues to mount as opposition leaders demand the immediate resignation of the CEC.