The Election Commission on Saturday sought to quell reports of differences within the poll panel, asserting that major decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, had been taken unanimously. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi at 3 pm on September 26. The meeting came amid reports that Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections to several decisions linked to the SIR.
In a detailed statement, the Election Commission said the three-member panel had met to address issues concerning its functioning and issued point-by-point clarifications on the reported disagreements. The controversy centres on several matters highlighter in Indian Express reports, including changes to Form 6 for new voter enrolment, the ECINET portal, the redistribution of work within the Commission's IT division, appeals related to the West Bengal SIR and the exclusion of 97 voters from electoral rolls in Goa.
On Form 6, the EC said the declaration requiring new voters to establish their linkage with the previous SIR through their parents had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Outside the SIR exercise, it said, the standard forms under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would continue to apply.
Addressing concerns over ECINET, the Commission said access to electoral-roll data was role-based and determined by officials' statutory powers. It also announced a review of the portal by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, with an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT. The EC further said future IT initiatives and portals would be discussed by the committee before being placed before the full Commission for approval.
On a disputed letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerning the redistribution of work involving an officer on deputation, the Commission said the matter related to the officer's functioning and not to any policy decision concerning the EC or its IT division. It maintained that the disputed work redistribution was never implemented following objections from the two commissioners, while oversight of the IT division by a Deputy Election Commissioner remained in place.
The Commission reiterated that its June 24, 2025 order launching SIR across states and Union Territories had received the “unanimous approval of the Commission”. It said subsequent schedules were also approved unanimously.
In addition, the poll body also addressed the case of 97 voters in Goa who had been left off the electoral rolls. It said the Chief Electoral Officer had ordered Booth Level Officers to conduct door-to-door verification, with 81 of the 97 voters having already submitted Form 6 applications.
As part of measures to strengthen its internal functioning, the Commission said agendas for meetings would now be circulated in advance and minutes would be recorded. Directions issued by individual commissioners to officials would also be followed “meticulously”, it said.
The deadline was extended for claims and objections under the Delhi SIR to October 30, with disposal targeted by November 30. In Maharashtra, the corresponding deadlines were extended to October 12 and November 10.
The reported differences have fuelled criticism from Opposition parties, who have questioned the Commission's functioning and called for Gyanesh Kumar's removal. The EC, however, maintained that internal deliberations and disagreements should not be conflated with formal decisions, reiterating that key decisions, including the SIR, were taken “collectively and unanimously”.
