Opposition protests, NDA allies seek answers as pressure mounts on ECI
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
Pressure mounted on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday as the Opposition hit the streets and some National Democratic Alliance members demanded answers even as a petition was filed in the Supreme Court demanding prosecution of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Adding to this, The Congress staged protests in Delhi and at least 11 states and UTs, attempting to march towards state election commission offices demanding Kumar’s arrest. (HT photo) The developments came days after an Indian Express investigation shared election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026 and even written to the cabinet secretary. It also alleged that election officials found their access to the ECI software curtailed by the central IT team.
Meanwhile, ECI has shared differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation and that all its digital platforms operated under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation.
Notably, But questions continued to simmer, including from within the ruling coalition.
As per the latest buzz, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan asked Kumar to firmly and publicly clarify ECI’s position. “If questions are being raised on the Election Commission’s conduct… the responsibility lies with the CEC to present his stance clearly. It is problematic if people begin to doubt the electoral process itself. The EC needs to present its stance, not to Rahul Gandhi, but to the public,” he shared.
In further updates, Paswan added that while the Opposition’s job was to do politics, the commission must maintain the people’s trust.
On top of that, Another ally, Rashtriya Lok Manch chief Upendra Kushwaha, also demanded answers. “A great deal of confusion has arisen among the public regarding the row related to SIR. The matter needs to be addressed. To dispel the confusion, the Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification on the correct position,” he shared on X in Hindi.
The Congress staged protests in Delhi and at least 11 states and UTs, attempting to march towards state election commission offices demanding Kumar’s arrest, removal from office, and an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made under him. The party also accused ECI of harming voter equality by creating a specific ‘Mark VIP’ feature in the BLO application. Several senior leaders, including Assam Congress Chief Gaurav Gogoi and Haryana MP Deepender Hooda were detained as police used barricades to stop them in various state capitals.
Source: Hindustan Times