OPCC Chief Attacks CEC, Alleges Mass Voter Deletions

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting as an “auxiliary body” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and compromising its constitutional mandate.

Addressing reporters in Bhubaneswar, Das alleged that the ECI has been systematically undermining democratic rights by removing genuine voters from electoral rolls in several states. He claimed that under the present Commission, large numbers of eligible voters have been deleted, effectively denying citizens their constitutional right to vote.

Citing figures, the OPCC chief said the scale of voter exclusion was unprecedented. “In Bihar, around 65 lakh voters were removed from the electoral list. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly three crore names were reportedly deleted following court orders. Similar practices have taken place in multiple states. This is nothing but making democracy subservient and taking away the rights of the poor,” he alleged.

Das also criticised the CEC’s three-day visit to Odisha, particularly his repeated visits to the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state. Questioning the moral authority of the poll body chief, he said religious visits could not compensate for alleged administrative failures.

“After committing such wrongdoing, visiting Lord Jagannath every day for darshan is not going to absolve them. Lord Jagannath is the lord of the universe and sees everything. Their sins won’t vanish,” Das remarked.

Turning his focus to Odisha, the Congress leader alleged that a similar pattern of voter exclusion is unfolding in the state. He claimed that thousands of eligible voters, particularly from marginalised communities, have found their names missing from the updated electoral rolls ahead of the forthcoming election cycle.

Calling for accountability, Das demanded immediate corrective measures from the Election Commission to restore public trust. “If the CEC cannot ensure a free and fair electoral process, he should accept responsibility, correct the wrongs, and resign,” he said.

The Special Intensive Revision exercise in Odisha aims to update electoral rolls for about 3.32 crore voters by removing duplicates, adding eligible citizens, and rationalising polling stations. CEC Gyanesh Kumar is on a three-day visit to the state beginning Saturday.