Mallikarjun Kharge Accuses Election Commissioner of Being BJP Puppet

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting as a "puppet" of the Bharatiya Janata Party during a Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on September 29, 2026. Kharge alleged that the Modi government has spent 12 years hollowing out India's democratic foundations and claimed that voter names are being removed through "calculated conspiracies."

Kharge questioned the credibility of the Chief Election Commissioner, citing reports of internal divisions within the commission regarding the SIR process and the exclusion of two commissioners from an internal portal. He argued that the independence of the Election Commission is a primary condition for the security of democracy.

To ensure electoral integrity before elections in five states scheduled for 2027, Kharge presented five demands. These include making data on voter list changes public, providing appeal opportunities for removed voters, and conducting independent investigations into serious discrepancies. The Indian National Congress plans to meet with other opposition parties on Wednesday to coordinate a joint strategy for further protests.