EC needs to restore its credibility, says Congress leader Anand Sharma – The Hindu

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August 10, 2026e-Paper
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August 10, 2026e-Paper
Updated – January 17, 2026 10:31 pm IST – New Delhi
Senior Congress leader and Former Minister Anand Sharma. File image | Photo Credit: The Hindu
Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday (January 17, 2026) expressed concern over what he described as a steady erosion in the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI), asserting that the constitutional authority must urgently address the issues raised by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to restore public trust.
In a post on X, Mr. Sharma said elections in a democracy must inspire confidence among voters and must also be seen to be conducted in a fair and impartial manner. The ECI, he argued, carries a constitutional mandate to uphold these principles but is increasingly losing the trust of the people.
“The SIR [special intensive revision] in Bihar and the conduct of ongoing SIR in many election going States and large-scale deletion and harassment of genuine voters have raised serious apprehensions of targeted disenfranchisement,” Mr. Sharma said.
Referring to the continuing debate on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Mr. Sharma said questions relating to possible tampering or misuse remain unresolved. The issues raised by Mr. Gandhi, he added, must be viewed in this broader context.
The ECI, he asserted, needs to undertake a “course correction” to regain its credibility and reaffirm public faith in the electoral process.
Mr. Sharma’s remarks came a day after Mr. Gandhi accused the EC of “gaslighting” citizens and termed “vote chori” (vote theft) an anti-national act.
The charge followed a controversy surrounding the quality of the so-called indelible ink used in marker pens during the Maharashtra civic polls. Opposition leaders alleged that the ink mark on voters’ fingers could be easily removed, potentially enabling bogus voting.
In response, the Maharashtra State Election Commission said it would conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
Published – January 17, 2026 06:08 pm IST
India / Indian National Congress / New Delhi / Delhi
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