The Congress party in Keralam has recently passed a resolution that has sparked significant controversy regarding the electoral process that enabled its rise to power. The resolution, which targets the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, has been described as historic by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

This move has drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which questions the credibility of the Congress’s stance given that the party won the state elections only five months after the SIR was implemented. On October 9, 2023, the Keralam Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution, with 137 out of 140 members supporting it. The only dissenting votes came from three BJP MLAs.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan has stated that the resolution calls for the removal of Chief Electoral Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and seeks to restore voters who were allegedly removed during the SIR process. This resolution marks a significant political shift for the Congress, which had previously defended the SIR process. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had acknowledged that the SIR may have inadvertently benefited the party in the recent elections, raising questions about the timing and motivations behind the new resolution.

Background of the SIR

The SIR of voter rolls in Keralam was part of a nationwide exercise announced on October 27, 2025, which included several other states. The process aimed to update and verify voter lists, resulting in a reduction of Keralam’s voter base from 2.78 crore to 2.69 crore, a decrease of approximately 8.57 lakh voters. Initially, both the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) did not raise objections to the SIR, but expressed concerns about its timing, coinciding with local body elections.

Following the Assembly elections on May 4, 2023, the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive victory, winning 102 of the 140 seats. Despite this success, the party’s recent resolution against the ECI has led to accusations of hypocrisy from the BJP, which argues that the Congress cannot simultaneously benefit from and condemn the electoral process.

Political analysts note that the Congress’s sudden shift in stance could undermine its credibility, particularly as it seeks to challenge the integrity of the electoral system that facilitated its own victory. The BJP has seized upon this contradiction, with State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar labelling the Congress’s actions as “fraud politics.”

Political Implications and Reactions

The resolution has placed the Congress government in Keralam in a precarious political situation. While the party seeks to align itself with national demands for electoral reform, it faces scrutiny over the legitimacy of its own electoral success. BJP leaders have called for the resignation of the Keralam government, questioning the integrity of the Assembly’s mandate.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar has further challenged the Congress’s position, suggesting that if the Chief Electoral Commissioner should be removed, then the Chief Minister’s personal secretary, who served as the Chief Electoral Officer during the SIR, should also face consequences. This line of questioning has added to the pressure on the Congress-led government.

The controversy surrounding the resolution has not only drawn attention in Keralam but has also resonated at the national level. The BJP has leveraged the situation to question the Congress’s overall electoral legitimacy, suggesting that the party’s recent criticisms of the ECI may reflect poorly on its own governance.

As the political landscape continues to evolve, the Congress party must navigate the complexities of its recent actions while addressing the challenges posed by the BJP. The ramifications of this resolution may have lasting effects on the party’s standing in Keralam and beyond.

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