Congress Accuses Election Commission of 'Lying' Over ECINet Launch

The Congress party on Friday accused the Election Commission of India of "lying" about its ECINet portal, alleging violations of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh demanded accountability for what he described as breaches of electoral law and the Constitution, claiming the commission's September 26 press note was an attempt at "damage control" that had instead "enhanced the damage".

Ramesh alleged that the ECINet portal, launched on January 22, 2026, with the stated aim of enhancing "transparency, credibility and public trust" in electoral processes, had been developed in violation of constitutional and statutory provisions. He claimed the commission had assured the country that the platform adhered to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. "All of this was a lie," Ramesh stated. He accused the commission of violating statutory provisions by restricting Electoral Registration Officers' access to the ECINet voter-roll system and overruling them in states including Goa and West Bengal, despite the 1950 Act vesting statutory authority over electoral rolls in EROs.

Ramesh noted that the commission had promised to form a committee to certify the system's compliance with relevant laws. He said such compliance should never have been in doubt if the Chief Election Commissioner's intentions were honest. The I.N.D.I.A bloc announced nationwide protests from Friday, demanding accountability for the alleged violations.