The CEC has broken not just Constitutional conventions and practices but has also knowingly broken the law as passed by Parliament, Jairam Ramesh said
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Congress on Saturday (September 26, 2026) urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of what it described as “illegal and unconstitutional” changes to the voter enrolment process under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the changes had created a hurdle for young and first-time Gen Z voters.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Election Commission had altered the online version of Form 6 in July by introducing a new requirement asking applicants whether their parents or grandparents figured in the electoral roll of the previous Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
He alleged that the change had been made without an official notification or an amendment to the rules governing the statutory form.
“The Supreme Court must immediately take suo moto cognizance and hold him accountable,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X, referring to Mr. Kumar. He alleged that the Election Commission did not have the power to amend Form 6 and that such a change could only be made by the Union government under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The Congress’s intervention came after the Election Commission directed officials to organise special enrolment camps for young voters and give them wide publicity through social media.
Mr. Ramesh questioned the move, alleging that the poll panel had first introduced a requirement that made it difficult for young voters to register and was now organising special camps to facilitate their enrolment.
The issue has acquired particular significance for first-time voters. The Hindum reported how a new declaration on the ECINet portal required applicants to establish whether their own or their parents’ or grandparents’ names figured in the previous SIR roll. And this was one of the issues on which two other Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had objected to and flagged their concerns.
Mr. Ramesh alleged that the online form had been changed in early July without an official notification and that the change had not been accompanied by an amendment to the Registration of Electors Rules. He described this as an overreach by the Election Commission.
“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. A confirmed law-breaker in charge of implementing laws—what has Indian democracy degenerated to,” he alleged.
The Election Commission has maintained that Form 6 itself has not been amended, and that the additional SIR-related requirement was introduced through instructions and a separate declaration. It has also said that all final decisions relating to the SIR exercise were taken unanimously by the three Election Commissioners.
Mr. Ramesh, however, said the change amounted to a violation of the law enacted by Parliament and accused Mr. Kumar of breaking constitutional conventions and statutory provisions. He reiterated the Congress’s demand that the CEC resign, saying that the issue directly affected young voters.
The demand for Supreme Court intervention comes a day after a separate petition was filed in the court seeking action against Mr. Kumar over alleged unilateral decisions concerning the SIR process, including the alteration of Form 6.
Published – September 26, 2026 02:56 pm IST
