‘Vote Chori’ Is Treason, Rahul Gandhi Says; Opposition Targets EC Over SIR Report

Rahul Gandhi Calls ‘Vote Chori’ an Act of Treason

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on September 23 sharply escalated his criticism of the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Gandhi described what he called “vote chori” as a crime against Indian citizens and a direct attack on the Constitution. He further alleged that the BJP, RSS and Election Commission had committed an act of treason.

His remarks followed reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission over certain aspects of the SIR exercise.

Gandhi also shared a video of an earlier statement in which he had warned Election Commission officials that they would be held accountable for actions he described as treasonous. These are political allegations by Gandhi and Congress and have not been established as findings by a court or other independent authority.

What Triggered the Latest Opposition Attack?

The immediate trigger was a report by The Indian Express stating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over the previous 10 months concerning decisions and orders associated with SIR.

According to the report, the issues included voter additions and deletions, handling of appeals, access to electoral-roll databases and other aspects of voter-data management.

The report prompted Opposition parties to question whether the Election Commission's internal decision-making process had adequately considered the views of all three commissioners.

Election Commission Rejects Reports of a Rift

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections represented a division within the poll panel.

According to the EC, individual concerns raised by Election Commissioners did not amount to disagreement over the final decisions of the Commission. Officials said decisions concerning SIR had been approved unanimously by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners.

The EC's response is significant because the Opposition's latest criticism relies partly on the reported objections as evidence of problems with the SIR decision-making process.

What Is the Special Intensive Revision?

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission exercise aimed at reviewing and updating electoral rolls.

The process involves checking existing voter records, identifying entries requiring verification and updating electoral rolls where necessary.

The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to identify and remove ineligible, duplicate or otherwise invalid entries while ensuring that eligible citizens remain on the electoral rolls.

The SIR exercise began in Bihar and has subsequently been expanded to other states and Union territories. Opposition parties have repeatedly raised concerns that the process could result in eligible voters being excluded.

Congress Demands Action Against the CEC

Congress has also intensified its demands against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress leaders have argued that the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners raise questions about the manner in which decisions were being taken by the poll panel.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal demanded Kumar's removal, arguing that the right to vote requires a transparent and procedurally sound electoral-roll process.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi also criticised the reported functioning of the Commission and questioned whether the Chief Election Commissioner could effectively override the views of other commissioners.

These statements represent the Congress's political position and are not judicial findings about the Election Commission's conduct.

Mallikarjun Kharge Also Targets the Election Commission

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined the criticism of the poll panel.

Kharge said Congress and other Opposition parties had raised concerns about the fairness of elections and the functioning of the Election Commission for several years.

His latest comments followed the report concerning objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi over SIR-related decisions.

The Congress leadership has therefore linked the latest controversy to its broader campaign questioning the electoral-roll revision process.

Arvind Kejriwal Demands Cancellation of SIR

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also reacted strongly to the controversy.

Kejriwal demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the SIR exercise to be cancelled. He also made a demand for fresh elections in several states, alleging that electoral processes had been compromised.

These are political demands and allegations; the Election Commission has not accepted the claim that the SIR process has compromised the validity of elections.

Abhishek Banerjee Calls for CEC's Removal

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee also called for the removal of Gyanesh Kumar and demanded a court-monitored investigation into the functioning of the Election Commission.

Banerjee argued that alleged voter disenfranchisement would have serious implications for the electoral process and urged the Supreme Court to intervene.

The comments reflect the TMC's position on the controversy and do not constitute an independent finding that voters have been unlawfully disenfranchised.

Why the Reported Objections Matter

The reported objections have become politically significant because the Election Commission is a multi-member constitutional body.

The controversy centres on whether concerns expressed by individual Election Commissioners were adequately incorporated into the Commission's decision-making process.

The EC, however, has emphasised that internal views and discussions should not be confused with final decisions of the constitutional body. It maintains that the decisions concerning SIR were unanimous.

The distinction between internal objections, formal decisions and the legal validity of those decisions will be important if the issue is examined by courts or other constitutional authorities.

SIR Has Already Triggered Political Controversy

The latest dispute is part of a larger political battle over electoral-roll revision.

Opposition parties have previously alleged that the SIR process could remove large numbers of genuine voters from electoral rolls, particularly people whose present details do not match historical records.

The Election Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revision is necessary to remove duplicate, deceased, shifted or otherwise ineligible entries and improve the accuracy of voter lists.

The competing positions have made SIR one of the major political and institutional issues surrounding India's electoral process in 2026.

Questions Around Voter Deletions and Additions

One of the issues reportedly raised by the two Election Commissioners concerned the addition and deletion of voters.

Electoral rolls are regularly updated because people change addresses, die, become eligible to vote or otherwise undergo changes in registration status.

The controversy arises when such changes occur during an intensive revision process and political parties question whether adequate verification and appeal mechanisms are being followed.

The EC has said that eligible voters have avenues to raise claims and objections during the revision process.

What Does the Dispute Mean for Voters?

For voters, the immediate significance of the controversy lies in the accuracy of electoral rolls.

A voter whose name is missing, incorrectly recorded or flagged for verification may need to follow the procedure prescribed by the Election Commission to establish eligibility and seek correction.

The broader political dispute does not itself determine whether an individual voter remains eligible.

The final electoral rolls and the outcome of claims and objections will provide a clearer picture of how many entries are ultimately retained, corrected or removed.

The Role of the Chief Election Commissioner

The controversy has also renewed discussion about the structure of the Election Commission.

The three-member Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The EC has said that decisions are taken in accordance with the applicable legal framework and that, where unanimity is not possible, the majority view determines the decision.

The latest dispute is therefore not simply about SIR but also about how a multi-member constitutional body records, resolves and communicates internal differences.

What Happens Next?

The Election Commission is expected to continue the SIR process according to its existing schedule.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties are likely to continue raising questions about the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners and demanding greater transparency regarding the decision-making process.

The controversy could also lead to further legal or parliamentary scrutiny if political parties pursue their demands.

For now, there is a clear difference between the Opposition's interpretation of the reported objections and the Election Commission's position that SIR-related decisions were ultimately unanimous.

Key Points at a Glance

IssueCurrent PositionMain controversySIR of electoral rollsRahul Gandhi's allegation“Vote chori” is a direct attack on the ConstitutionGandhi's descriptionCalled it an act of “treason”Reported EC objectionsAt least 14 objections by two Election CommissionersCommissioners namedSukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek JoshiEC's responseSIR decisions were unanimousCongress demandAction against/removal of CEC Gyanesh KumarAAP positionKejriwal demanded action and cancellation of SIRTMC positionAbhishek Banerjee demanded CEC removal and investigationStatusPolitical and institutional controversy continues

Bottom Line

Rahul Gandhi has intensified his criticism of the Election Commission, describing alleged “vote chori” as an act of treason and a direct attack on the Constitution. His remarks followed a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over aspects of the SIR process.

Other Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Arvind Kejriwal and Abhishek Banerjee, have also demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and questioned the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected reports of a split within the poll panel and said that decisions concerning SIR were taken unanimously.

The immediate focus is therefore on how the reported internal objections are interpreted, how the SIR process proceeds and whether the controversy results in further judicial, parliamentary or institutional scrutiny.