EC Responds to Concerns, Reiterates Collective Decision- Oppn says Wishy Washy
In a major damage-control exercise, three days after the controversy broke out over internal differences among three Election Commissioners on Form-6, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday sought to quell reports of differences within the poll panel over its internal functioning, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, voter enrolment and its technology systems
Earlier, all three members — Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — held a full commission meeting at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi and then issued a detailed press note.
The ECI has rejected claims of an internal rift over the Special Intensive Revision, saying all decisions were taken unanimously. The Indian Express reported that two Election Commissioners raised 14 objections over SIR-related decisions. Opposition leaders questioned the ECI’s functioning and demanded action, while the poll panel maintained there was no formal dissent.
The Election Commission (EC) maintained that its June 24, 2025, order launching the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across states and Union Territories was approved unanimously by all three Election Commissioners. It said all subsequent schedules relating to the exercise were also issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The EC further pointed out that the Supreme Court had upheld the original SIR order.
On Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters, the Commission addressed concerns over an additional declaration introduced during the SIR exercise. The declaration requires applicants to establish their linkage with the previous SIR through their parents’ names. The EC said the requirement had been upheld by the Supreme Court. It clarified that outside the SIR exercise, the forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would continue to remain in use.
The Commission also responded to questions over 97 voters in Goa who were initially left out of the electoral rolls. It said the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa had directed Booth Level Officers to conduct house-to-house visits and collect the required forms. Of the 97 voters, 81 had already submitted Form 6 seeking inclusion in the rolls.
On ECINET, concerns had been raised over access to electoral-roll databases and the functioning of the portal. The EC said field-level officials were given role-based access strictly in accordance with their statutory powers. It also announced a review of ECINET by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and comprising an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT.
The Commission clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary regarding the redistribution of work involving an officer on deputation was related to the officer’s functioning and responsibilities, and not to any policy concerning the EC or its IT division.
As part of efforts to strengthen its internal procedures, the EC said agendas for Commission meetings would henceforth be circulated in advance and minutes issued subsequently. It also stated that directions issued by the commissioners to officials would be complied with meticulously.
The Commission further extended the SIR deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, while reiterating that its major decisions had been taken collectively and unanimously.
This clarification is unlikely to douse the controversy as the Congress party feels that the ECI had made an attempt to hide real issues and insisted that the Chief Election Commissioner Gyaneshwar Kumar should resign. The INDIA bloc is also likely to meet soon to discuss this issue.
While the Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh put out a detailed press note said the Election Commission is in damage control mode after it has already caused massive damage to our democracy. It has issued a wishy-washy press note that raises further questions on its intent, integrity, impartiality and credibility. He said the press note does not directly deny the newspaper report on differences between the three Election Commissioners. It only made a defensive attempt to downplay the real issues.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday stepped up her attack on CEC Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation and removal of the legal safeguards available to the Election Commissioner, alleging that the BJP government had instituted the protections to shield the poll panel from accountability.
She said the INDIA bloc was united in seeking Kumar’s removal and alleged that the Election Commissioner was being protected by the BJP government.
Vadra was responding to questions about reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission over various decisions and instructions relating to electoral-roll revision, deletion and addition of names, changes to forms for new voters and access to voter data in Wayanad.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission conducted the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state to help the BJP win the assembly polls by deleting valid voters’ names.
She also accused the state police of acting at the behest of the ruling BJP in the minority-dominated Rejinagar assembly seat in Murshidabad, where a bypoll is due next month.
However, the BJP on Saturday said the Election Commission’s latest statement has exposed the “lies” and “malicious propaganda” of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi on the SIR issue.
“Rahul Gandhi was lying and running malicious propaganda. He is a non-serious politician,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
They said the ECI had made it clear that the letters sent by the two commissioners – Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi – to the Cabinet secretary were not related to any policy matter of the Commission or its IT division, but to the working of an officer on deputation to the poll panel.