Shimla, September : The Himachal Pradesh Congress stepped up its opposition to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls with a protest in Shimla, raising concerns over the process and demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress leaders and workers gathered outside the Election Commission office in Shimla, where they raised slogans against the SIR exercise and questioned the functioning of the Election Commission. The protest came amid a wider Opposition campaign against the poll panel following reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission over several decisions connected with electoral rolls and the SIR process.
The Congress has alleged that the ongoing revision of electoral rolls could lead to genuine voters being excluded if adequate safeguards are not maintained. The party has also questioned the manner in which decisions relating to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names and electoral-roll data are being handled.
At the Shimla protest, Congress leaders reiterated their demand that Gyanesh Kumar should be removed from the post of Chief Election Commissioner. The party has linked its demand to the wider controversy surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission and reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several issues during the past 10 months.
According to reports cited by the Opposition, the two Election Commissioners raised objections on multiple occasions concerning issues including the SIR exercise, changes in Form 6 for new voters, deletion and restoration of names from electoral rolls and access to electoral data. The Congress has argued that these developments raise questions about the decision-making process within the constitutional body.
The controversy has gained further political momentum after reports that the two Election Commissioners had raised objections on at least 14 occasions between October 2025 and August 2026. The reported concerns included the handling of electoral-roll data and certain decisions relating to voter registration and the SIR exercise.
Congress leaders have cited these reports while questioning whether adequate institutional consultation took place before important decisions were implemented. The party has demanded greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission and has called for the objections and related decision-making records to be examined.
The Congress protest in Shimla is part of a broader Opposition campaign that has gathered momentum across the country. On Wednesday, Congress and other Opposition parties held protests and press conferences in different parts of India, demanding action against the CEC and a review or halt to aspects of the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that differences in internal deliberations indicate a breakdown in its functioning. In a statement, the poll panel said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional decision-making and that not only the three Commissioners but officials across the Commission were authorised to offer suggestions aimed at improving the electoral system. The Commission maintained that its official orders and decisions had been issued in accordance with the law and established procedures.
The Commission’s position is significant in the ongoing political dispute because it distinguishes between internal observations made during the decision-making process and the final decisions formally issued by the institution. The poll panel has maintained that such internal checks and discussions are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body.
The SIR itself has become one of the most contentious electoral issues in the country. The exercise is intended to undertake a detailed revision of electoral rolls, but Opposition parties have expressed concern about the documentation and verification requirements and the possibility of eligible voters being left out of the final lists.
For the Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the issue has acquired a direct political dimension because the party is seeking greater scrutiny of the process and accountability from the Election Commission. The demand for the removal of Gyanesh Kumar reflects the wider position being taken by the Congress leadership nationally.
The Shimla protest also comes at a time when questions over the independence, transparency and internal functioning of the Election Commission have become the subject of an intense political and institutional debate. The Congress has framed the SIR controversy around the protection of eligible voters, while the Election Commission has maintained that the revision process and its decisions are being carried out within the constitutional and statutory framework.
The immediate focus will now remain on how the SIR process progresses, how claims and objections from voters are dealt with and whether the Election Commission provides further clarification on the concerns raised by Opposition parties. Any allegation of wrongful deletion or manipulation of electoral rolls will ultimately have to be examined on the basis of individual records, the statutory process and evidence available to the competent authorities.
The Shimla protest has nevertheless added a state-level dimension to a national controversy, with the Himachal Congress making the SIR process and the demand for action against the CEC a prominent part of its current political campaign.
