NEW DELHI: Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Saturday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of making changes to the voter registration process that allegedly created hurdles for first-time voters, and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the issue.
Reacting to the Election Commission’s move to organise special enrolment camps for young voters, Ramesh alleged that the poll body had earlier made it difficult for new voters to register by introducing changes in Form 6, calling the move “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional”.
“Late night yesterday, a panicked Election Commission directed officers to organise special enrolment camps for young voters and give them ‘wide publicity’ through social media. But the CEC himself had earlier made it virtually impossible to add young voters through a blatantly illegal and unconstitutional change to Form 6,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
He alleged that a new mandatory section was added to Form 6 seeking details about whether the applicant’s parents or grandparents were part of the previous Special Intensive Revision (SIR), creating a barrier for first-time Gen Z voters.
“The change is completely illegal. · Violation 1: In early July 2026 the online form was stealthily changed with no official notification. · Violation 2: ECI does not have the power to amend Form 6. This power is only held by the Union Government as per The Representation Of The People Act, 1950. This is clear a huge overreach by the Election Commission. · Violation 3: The form was changed without any amendment to the Rules that govern it under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. That can only be done by the Union Govt with proper intimation to Parliament. A statutory form, defined by the law, was unilaterally changed by the CEC Gyanesh at the instance of the rattled PM-HM duo,” Ramesh said.
Referring to The Indian Express report, he further alleged that “two ECs had called for this “illegal and unauthorised” change to be reversed “so young and first-time voters can register without any harassment”.”
“The CEC has broken not just Constitutional conventions and practices but has also knowingly broken the law as passed by Parliament. His continuation in office is an affront to the people of India,” Ramesh further said.
“A confirmed law-breaker in charge of implementing laws—what has Indian democracy degenerated to. The Supreme Court must immediately take suo moto cognizance and hold him accountable. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said Gyanesh Kumar can still redeem himself by resigning and turning approver. The Youth of India especially will approve of such a move,” he added.
The Congress leader’s remarks came amid a political row over the SIR exercise of electoral rolls following an Indian Express report saying that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR process.
