Puppet has to go but puppeteer pair must be held accountable too: Congress
The Congress party has accused the Election Commission of India of overseeing mass manipulation during the West Bengal assembly elections. Opposition leaders are planning a protest to demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Why it matters
Allegations of electoral malpractice involving constitutional bodies strike at the heart of democratic integrity and political stability in India.
The Congress on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) alleged that the West Bengal assembly polls were a "textbook case of mass manipulation and rigging" which was overseen by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and asserted that the "puppet" has to go but the "two puppeteers" too have to be held accountable.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a screenshot of a media report that claimed that judges of more than a dozen Tribunals appointed in West Bengal on the orders of the Supreme Court to process SIR appeals, including those of 27 lakh deleted electors, have highlighted glaring gaps in a digital portal set up for them by the Election Commission of India 's IT division.
In his post on X, Mr. Ramesh said, "More skeletons are tumbling out of the Election Omission of India's closet."
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