New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has intensified his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of helping “match-fix” elections in India amid the ongoing political row over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi made the latest allegation while sharing a post by the Congress-linked Keralam Congress account on X. The post referred to an allegation involving former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson and claimed that Kumar had approached Thomson in 2016 to contest an election on a BJP ticket and had allegedly offered a ministerial position.

The allegation has not been independently established in the reports reviewed for this article. The Election Commission has separately rejected broader allegations of electoral manipulation and defended its decision-making process amid the ongoing SIR controversy.

Rahul Gandhi targets Gyanesh Kumar

Gandhi accused Kumar of being used as a “recruiter” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sharing the Keralam Congress post, Gandhi wrote that Modi and Shah had made Kumar the “umpire” and put him in charge of what he described as “match-fixing India’s elections”.

The latest remarks are part of Gandhi’s escalating criticism of the Election Commission. On September 24, he demanded Kumar’s resignation and alleged that the country’s electoral system had been fundamentally compromised.

Gandhi’s recent attacks have come amid reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission over aspects of electoral-roll management, including the SIR exercise.

An Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised written objections on multiple occasions over a period of about 10 months. The Election Commission, however, said differing views and internal notes are a normal part of deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body and maintained that official decisions were taken through the prescribed process.

Congress raises allegation involving Jiji Thomson

The Keralam Congress post shared by Gandhi focused on an alleged interaction involving Jiji Thomson, who served as Kerala Chief Secretary in 2015-16.

The Congress alleged that Thomson was offered a BJP ticket and a ministerial position by Kumar, who was then a senior bureaucrat. It questioned Kumar’s alleged authority to make such an offer and asked why an Election Commission official would have been involved in political recruitment.

The claim is being presented by Congress as part of its wider criticism of Kumar. However, the available reporting reviewed for this article does not independently establish that the alleged offer was made.

Contemporary records confirm Thomson’s position as Kerala Chief Secretary during that period. He was also a senior IAS officer who had held several administrative responsibilities before his retirement.

The allegation is particularly significant because Kumar is now heading the Election Commission, making claims about his past political interactions a subject of heightened political scrutiny.

Election Commission rejects broader manipulation allegations

The fresh attack comes against the backdrop of a wider dispute over SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission.

The Commission has rejected allegations that its electoral-roll revision process is being manipulated. In its response to reports about internal differences, the ECI said that written observations, suggestions and disagreements form part of institutional checks and balances.

The poll panel also maintained that important decisions, including those connected with electoral-roll revision and SIR, received approval from the full Commission.

The dispute has nevertheless continued, with Opposition parties questioning the transparency of the electoral-roll revision process and demanding greater accountability from the poll panel.

Gandhi has repeatedly linked the SIR controversy to his broader “vote chori” allegations, while the BJP has rejected his claims. BJP spokespersons have argued that the Election Commission’s decisions were taken through the established process and have questioned the basis of the Opposition’s allegations.

Protest plans add to pressure on CEC

The controversy has also spilled into plans for street protests.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that his organisation would launch a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2 if Kumar did not resign by September 26. Dipke said the protest would begin on Gandhi Jayanti and subsequently spread to cities across the country.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has backed the proposed protest. In a post on X, Thackeray said Mumbai would turn out in large numbers from October 2 if Kumar did not step down.

The CJP’s announcement comes as Opposition criticism of the Election Commission has intensified following reports about internal differences within the poll panel.

SIR remains at the centre of political dispute

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has become one of the main points of confrontation between the Election Commission and Opposition parties.

The process involves verification and updating of electoral rolls, with the Commission maintaining that safeguards are in place for voters whose names or details require verification. The ECI has also said that its statutory officers retain responsibility for decisions relating to voter registration and deletion.

Opposition parties, meanwhile, have raised concerns over the possible exclusion of eligible voters and have questioned the manner in which the revision is being conducted.

The dispute over SIR has also contributed to the wider political confrontation surrounding Kumar. Gandhi and other Opposition leaders have demanded greater scrutiny of the Commission’s functioning, while the BJP and the ECI have rejected allegations that the electoral process is being manipulated.

Political allegations remain contested

Gandhi’s latest “match-fixing” remark is therefore part of a broader political dispute rather than an established finding against the Chief Election Commissioner.

The specific allegation concerning Jiji Thomson and an alleged BJP offer has been raised by Congress, but independent confirmation of the claim was not found in the sources reviewed. Similarly, the broader allegations concerning manipulation of elections have been rejected by the Election Commission and the BJP.

With the proposed October 2 protest and the continuing SIR controversy, Kumar remains at the centre of an increasingly heated political debate over the functioning and credibility of India’s election machinery.