Congress accuses ECI of bias, claims electoral register misused

The Congress party launched a fresh salvo against the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, arguing that the electoral body has been compromised by the ruling BJP-led government at the Centre. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh contended that the Systematic Voters' Rolls Revision (SIR) initiative forms part of a deliberate strategy pursued by PM Narendra Modi and BJP president J.P. Nadda to skew electoral outcomes in the party's favour. According to Ramesh, the SIR process is being weaponised to disenfranchise large sections of the electorate through manipulation of voter rolls, thereby artificially inflating support for the ruling dispensation. The Congress has previously raised concerns about discrepancies in voter registration across multiple states, alleging systematic anomalies that benefit the BJP. The party's renewed accusations reflect growing opposition apprehensions about the impartiality of India's electoral machinery ahead of forthcoming state and national elections. The Election Commission has not responded to the Congress's latest allegations.