29 September,2026 01:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe raised allegations over the functioning of the ECI-Net system and voter classification. File pic
Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the statutory powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to determine voter eligibility were being diluted through the ECI-Net system.
Reacting to media reports that Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam had sought restoration of the powers of sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe alleged that certain officials had misused the software to classify voters and create anomalies in electoral rolls.
"If there are anomalies or discrepancies, the statutory authority to decide who is a voter and who is not rests with the ERO, that is, the SDM," Londhe said.
Londhe alleged that these statutory powers were being taken away through the ECI-Net platform, claiming that officials including Director General of IT Seema Khanna and Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg were involved. He cited media reports in support of his allegations.
ECI-Net was launched earlier this year as a platform intended to bring more than 40 existing Election Commission applications and websites, including electoral roll-related services, under one umbrella.
The Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar have faced criticism from Opposition parties following an Indian Express report which claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Opposition parties have alleged that Kumar took unilateral decisions favouring the ruling establishment.
Londhe also alleged that Kumar's appointment as CEC was facilitated by changes to the process for selecting election commissioners. He referred to the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee and his replacement by a junior Union minister, which, according to Londhe, gave the government a majority on the panel.
He further criticised the legal immunity provided to election commissioners, alleging that it protects them from civil and criminal proceedings for acts carried out while in office.
Londhe also linked his allegations to the SIR exercise and electoral rolls. He claimed that an online application had been provided to party workers to classify voters using different colours.
According to his allegation, saffron represented BJP voters, another colour represented Opposition voters and blue represented neutral voters.
"These allegations and the evidence now emerging provide an explanation for the issues party leader Rahul Gandhi had raised earlier," he said.
Londhe urged Kumar to accept Gandhi's advice to become an approver, saying this would help protect the credibility of democracy.
"Democracy is supreme. Nothing is greater than democracy in this country," Londhe said.
(With inputs from PTI)
