The Congress on Sunday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of withholding information about its ECINET software, alleging that the lack of transparency was concealing what the opposition party described as large-scale, centralised manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party reiterated its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down and called for the immediate suspension of the voter-list revision exercise. The allegations come amid growing political controversy over the Election Commission’s use of digital systems to identify errors and anomalies in electoral rolls.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh raised the issue after a media report said the Election Commission had refused to disclose the name and version of the software used during the SIR exercise. According to the report, the poll body cited commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property provisions under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to justify withholding the details. Ramesh argued that the refusal had raised questions about the transparency of the electoral roll revision process and the safeguards governing the use of technology in managing voter data.

In his statement, Ramesh questioned why the Election Commission had not publicly clarified details about the software and whether artificial intelligence was being used during the revision process. He also asked why information about the platform’s development had emerged through disclosures involving Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), rather than through a transparent announcement by the poll body. The Congress leader alleged that the absence of clear answers had undermined public confidence in the process. These claims represent the opposition party’s allegations and have not been independently established as evidence of electoral manipulation.

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The controversy centres on ECINET, the Election Commission’s digital platform for election-related services and administrative processes. The commission, however, has stated that no new software was developed or procured specifically for the SIR exercise. It has also maintained that decisions regarding the inclusion or exclusion of individual voters are made by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) based on facts and records. The ECI has said its digital platforms operate under data-security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised tampering, while statutory officers exercise their powers in accordance with electoral laws.

Ramesh also referred to objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions connected with the SIR process and the Election Commission’s information technology division. Reports have documented internal notes and communications in which the two commissioners raised concerns about aspects of the electoral roll management system and administrative decisions. The Election Commission has responded that differing views and observations are part of institutional deliberations, maintaining that its decisions carry legal authority and follow established statutory procedures. The disagreement has intensified scrutiny of the commission’s internal decision-making and oversight of its digital systems.

The Congress has demanded that the Election Commission disclose further information about the software, clarify whether AI tools were used and explain what safeguards were in place during the voter-list revision. It has also called for the SIR exercise to be halted and for Kumar to resign. The dispute adds to wider political tensions surrounding electoral roll revisions, voter deletions and the authority of officials responsible for maintaining voter lists. The Election Commission’s position remains that electoral registration officers make decisions on individual voters under the applicable legal framework, while the Congress continues to question the transparency and centralisation of the process.

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