The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday rejected reports of internal differences among its three members over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that all decisions, including those concerning the revision exercise, were taken unanimously.
The clarification came after a report by The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period against decisions taken in the name of the poll panel.
EC sources told The Times of India and Hindustan Times that the reported objections did not mean that the Commission's final decisions lacked the approval of all three commissioners.
“All decisions of the Election Commission of India, including SIR, have been unanimous and with the approval of both the Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner,” EC sources told Hindustan Times.
The report that triggered the controversy said the objections by Sandhu and Joshi related to several aspects of electoral-roll management, including changes to Form 6, control of the electoral-roll database, voter-deletion appeals in West Bengal and the inclusion of eligible voters in Goa.
EC: Internal observations are part of the process
The poll panel separately said that the exchange of written observations and differing views should not be interpreted as evidence of a breakdown within the Commission.
“Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour of the institution,” the ECI said in an official statement.
The Commission said it functions as a multi-member constitutional body under Article 324 of the Constitution, along with statutory rules and established institutional practices.
“All actions of ECI have been in accordance of laws and instructions of the Commission,” it said.
What the reported objections concerned
According to the Indian Express report cited by the two publications, one area of disagreement involved Form 6, used by people applying for registration as new voters.
The report said Joshi had questioned a proposed change requiring applicants to state whether their own name, or that of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the electoral roll from the previous SIR. Sandhu subsequently supported the objection and described the change as “unauthorised and illegal”, according to the report.
Another reported concern involved the management of the electoral-roll database. Joshi was said to have flagged what he described as the “gradual centralisation” of the database and suggested an audit to ensure that access remained with the authorities empowered under the law.
The reported objections also covered cases involving voter deletions and the inability of officials in Goa to add voters whose inclusion had reportedly been approved by electoral authorities.
The controversy has meanwhile triggered fresh criticism of the Election Commission from Opposition parties.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav described the reported developments as serious and alleged that they raised questions about the independence of the Commission. These are political allegations and have been rejected by the ECI. Further, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also labelled the instance as “an act of treason.”
