Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das Saturday launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, stating that the CEC’s darshan of Lord Jagannath would not help the Election Commission of India (ECI) “get rid of its sins.”
The Congress leader accused the ECI of functioning as an auxiliary body of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that it has compromised its constitutional responsibility.
Talking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, Das claimed that the Commission is systematically undermining democratic rights by removing genuine voters from electoral rolls across several states.
“Under the current Commission, large numbers of voters have been removed from lists, leading to a denial of the citizens’ constitutional right to vote,” the OPCC chief said.
Backed by figures, Das said the scale of voter exclusion was unprecedented. “In Bihar, around 65 lakh voters were removed from the list. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly three crore names were reportedly deleted from the electoral rolls 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.
The Congress leader also targeted the CEC over his three-day visit to Odisha, particularly his repeated visits to the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in the state.
Questioning the moral authority of the poll body chief, Das remarked that religious visits could not compensate for 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,” he added.
Shifting focus to Odisha, Das alleged that a similar pattern of voter exclusion is unfolding in the state as well.
He claimed that thousands of eligible voters, especially from marginalised communities, have discovered their names missing from the updated electoral rolls ahead of the forthcoming election cycle.
Calling for immediate accountability, the OPCC chief demanded corrective action from the Election Commission to restore public trust.
“The CEC should accept responsibility and step down if he cannot ensure a free and fair electoral process. He must surrender before the truth, correct the wrongs, and resign,” Das said.
The electoral roll revision in the state aims to update lists for 3.32 crore voters, remove duplicates, add eligible citizens, and rationalise polling stations.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar is on a three-day visit to Odisha starting Saturday.
IANS
