Panaji, September 28, 2026: Ami Goenche Rakhondar (AGR) has announced a mega protest at Azad Maidan on October 10, 2026, demanding the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a ban on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The announcement was made during a press conference held at Azad Maidan on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Leaders and representatives from political parties, activists, advocates, environmentalists, doctors, NGOs, civil society groups and students attended the event and expressed support for the proposed protest.
AGR alleged that recent reports concerning differences within the Election Commission of India have raised serious questions about the functioning of the poll panel and the conduct of the SIR exercise.
An investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record on multiple occasions over issues including voter additions, deletions and the centralisation of electoral data systems. The report said the two commissioners had objected 14 times over a 10-month period.
The controversy has also involved 97 Goa voters. According to The Indian Express, Goa's Electoral Registration Officers had examined the cases and found the 97 voters eligible, but their names were still absent from the final electoral roll published on February 21, 2026.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that decisions were taken unilaterally, stating that the decisions referred to in the investigation were the result of unanimous decisions of the full Commission over the past year.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Goa, has also stated that the cases concerning the 97 voters were processed separately and reiterated that no eligible elector would be left behind.
AGR has alleged that the SIR process has affected eligible voters and has called for greater accountability in the electoral process. The organisation said the October 10 protest will seek public support for its three principal demands: scrapping SIR, resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and a ban on EVMs.
The organisers have appealed to citizens across Goa to attend the protest in large numbers and raise their concerns over electoral rights and the functioning of the Election Commission.
The official Chief Electoral Officer, Goa website lists the SIR 2026 final electoral roll as having been published on February 21, 2026.
