Congress accuses Election Commission of ‘lying’ about ECINet, demands accountability

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, said that in its “damage control but actually damage enhancing”. File | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Congress on Friday (October 2, 2026) accused the Election Commission of “lying” about the ECINet portal and violating the Representation of the People Act, as it stressed accountability for the “violations of the law and the Constitution.”

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, said that in its “damage control but actually damage enhancing” press note of September 26, 2026, the Election Commission of India had promised a committee to certify that the legally suspect ECINet “complies with the provisions of the Acts and Rules.”

“In reality, this should never have been in doubt at all in the first place if the intentions of the CEC Gyanesh Kumar were honest, which they were not,” Mr. Ramesh said.

ECINet was launched on January 22, 2026, with much fanfare, to “enhance transparency, credibility and public trust,” he said in a post on X. The Election Commission’s press note of that day had assured the country the system “has been developed in strict accordance with the law” and in full compliance with the Constitution of India, the Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, he said. “All of this was a lie,” Mr. Ramesh claimed.