Pilot Accuses CEC Gyanesh Kumar of Sidestepping Fellow Commissioners on Voter Roll Revision

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday (October 4, 2026) accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of undermining the independence of the Election Commission, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used to selectively delete voters.

Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Mr. Pilot, a former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, said Mr. Kumar had sidelined the two other Election Commissioners while taking decisions linked to the roll revision, and demanded action against him.

"India and the country function according to law. The Election Commission has three members, and decisions are taken either unanimously or by a majority. But Gyanesh Kumar sidelined the other two Election Commissioners and started the entire process on his own," he alleged.

The Election Commission is a three-member body comprising the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. Under the law governing its functioning, decisions are taken by majority in the absence of unanimity. The Commission has stated that the SIR exercise is meant to remove the names of electors who have died, have permanently shifted, or appear more than once on the rolls.

Mr. Pilot claimed that powers normally exercised by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) at the local level were being centralised, and alleged that names of voters were being added to and deleted from the rolls in Delhi. He claimed that about 13 crore names had been removed from electoral rolls across the country, and alleged that voters were being selectively targeted in States including Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal. He did not present any documents during the press interaction in support of the figure he cited.

Drawing a parallel with the 2016 withdrawal of high-value currency notes, Mr. Pilot said, "First there was demonetisation, and now they are doing 'vote bandi'. Voting is the biggest democratic right of a citizen. If that right is taken away, what could be more serious than this?" He alleged that public confidence in the Election Commission as an impartial constitutional institution had been eroded, and reiterated his demand for action against the CEC.

Turning to Rajasthan, which has recorded deficient monsoon rainfall in several areas, Mr. Pilot accused the State government of failing to make advance preparations to deal with drought-like conditions.

"The government's planning has completely failed. Had arrangements been made a month or two ago, and a plan prepared after it became clear that the monsoon was deficient, some relief could have been provided, and perhaps the situation would not have become so serious," he said.

He alleged that the BJP government's attention remained focused on managing elections and retaining power rather than on addressing the problems arising from deficient rainfall. He also accused the government of misusing the police and the administration during the recent urban local body elections, and claimed that Congress councillors were stopped at the Haryana border.

On Punjab, where he is the AICC general secretary in charge, Mr. Pilot alleged that drug abuse and law and order had worsened under the Aam Aadmi Party government, and accused it of using the police against those raising their voice. "The government has completely failed. Law and order has collapsed, and drug addiction has increased manifold," he alleged. He expressed confidence that the Congress would form the next government in Punjab with a clear majority.

Asked about former Rajasthan Minister and party colleague Vishvendra Singh, Mr. Pilot said the matter would come before the party and that he would put forward his position. The Rajasthan Congress has issued a show-cause notice to Mr. Singh over alleged indiscipline and anti-party activities, hours after he signalled that he could part ways with the party.

The allegations made by Mr. Pilot are the claims of a political leader. Under the Constitution, the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections vest in the Election Commission, which is constituted as an independent authority.