The Congress has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of lying about the legality of its ECINet portal, claiming it was not in accordance with the law. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh alleged that the ECI's September 26, 2026, press note, which promised a committee to certify the portal's compliance with legal provisions, was a 'damage-control but actually damage-enhancing' statement. Ramesh stated that the portal's legal status should never have been in question if the intentions of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were honest, which they were not.

The ECINet portal was launched on January 22, 2026, with assurances that it was developed in strict accordance with the law and in compliance with the Constitution of India, the Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Ramesh claimed these assurances were false. He further alleged that the ECI had violated the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, by restricting access to the voter-roll system and overruling Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in states such as Goa and West Bengal.

The opposition INDIA bloc, led by Congress, has announced joint 'Save Democracy' marches across all districts and five major rallies. It also called for future elections to be conducted using ballot papers and urged the Supreme Court to expedite cases concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged electoral 'malpractices.' At a meeting attended by leaders of 19 political parties, the opposition decided that all its MPs would march to the Election Commission on October 6, 2026, while its leaders would meet the President to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in voter-list revisions. The grouping also discussed demanding the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation and declared that it would not relent until he was removed from office.

The Election Commission has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution, and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures. The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer wrote to the ECI on September 24, 2026, asking for a correction of the 'illegal state of affairs.' The Congress has stated that the chorus of voices against the 'capture' of the electoral system is growing, and citizens will no longer tolerate 'vote chori' in any form.

What remains unknown is whether the ECI will respond to the allegations and provide a detailed explanation of its legal rationale for ECINet. The next known date for a public response from the ECI is October 10, 2026, when it is expected to issue a formal statement addressing the legal concerns raised by the Congress and other stakeholders.