EC sources say all decisions, including SIR, were unanimous
All Election Commission decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), were unanimous and approved by both Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, EC sources told Hindustan Times on Wednesday. The clarification followed an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months, involving Form 6 changes, ERONet centralisation, voter deletion appeals in West Bengal and 97 eligible voters not added in Goa. Opposition leaders questioned the EC.
Source
Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- All EC decisions, including SIR, were unanimous and approved by both Election Commissioners and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. — Attributed to unnamed EC sources in a statement given to Hindustan Times; quoted verbatim in source.
- Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months, four on the same day. — Attributed to an Indian Express report; figures appear in source but are not independently confirmed.
- Joshi objected in May to the Form 6 change; the SIR-related question remained on the form until September 21. — Attributed to the Indian Express report; dates appear in source.
- In Goa, 97 voters found eligible by Electoral Registration Officers could not be added to the final roll due to software limits. — Figure appears in source, attributed to the Indian Express report.
- Sandhu and Joshi separately wrote to Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan over changes in the EC's IT work. — Attributed to the report; source frames it with a question mark in its own subheading.
Analysts’ view opinion
Whether or not there is friction inside the Election Commission has stopped being an administrative question and become the centrepiece of a political fight over the credibility of the electoral process. The sources' line that "all decisions, including SIR, were unanimous" is an attempt to defend institutional unity, but it does not directly deny that objections were recorded 14 times. That gap is precisely where the opposition is investing politically, arguing its long-standing complaints about SIR now appear to be echoed from within.
- The EC's formulation speaks to unanimity of final decisions, not to whether dissent was recorded along the way — and that distinction is what keeps the story politically alive.
- The near-simultaneous reaction from DMK, AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and CPI(M) leaders suggests the opposition sees SIR as a ready-made shared national plank.
- Technical issues like the Form 6 change and ERONet centralisation are being translated into a simpler, campaign-friendly question: who controls the voter roll?
- With West Bengal deletion appeals among the cited items, the dispute can easily acquire a state-specific edge in poll-bound territory.
- The story carries no ruling-party response, and the EC itself having to issue the rebuttal is politically uncomfortable for an institution that depends on being seen as above the fray.
What to watch — Watch whether the EC moves from sourced clarification to a formal, detailed statement, whether the two commissioners speak for themselves, and how judicial scrutiny and parliamentary pressure on SIR develop.
The story does not independently establish that the objections were made, their context, or how deep any internal rift runs — it sets a published report against a response from unnamed EC sources.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a three-member body — the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners — that takes decisions collectively. An Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded written objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions issued in the Commission's name, covering voter registration, deletions, appeals and control of the electoral-roll database during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. EC sources responded to Hindustan Times on Wednesday that all decisions, including SIR, were unanimous and approved by both Election Commissioners and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The report drew criticism from several opposition leaders.
Key facts
- EC sources told HT that all ECI decisions, including SIR, have been unanimous and approved by both Election Commissioners and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- The Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months; four objections were made on the same day.
- The report said it examined written objections recorded between November 2025 and August 2026, copied to CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- Form 6, the application for new voter registration, was changed in July to ask whether the applicant's own, parent's or grandparent's name appeared in the previous SIR roll; the question remained until September 21.
- Joshi objected in May that Form 6 is prescribed under electoral rules and could not be changed without amending the rules; Sandhu called the change "unauthorised and illegal".
- In Goa, 97 voters were found eligible by Electoral Registration Officers but could not be added to the final roll because the software did not allow officials to record their decisions.
- In West Bengal, Sandhu questioned who authorised appeals seeking deletion of voters whose names had been retained after judicial scrutiny.
- Sandhu and Joshi separately wrote to Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan over changes in the EC's IT work; the order was later set aside and the earlier arrangement restored.
Timeline
- November 2025 to August 2026Period covered by the Indian Express examination of written objections recorded by Sandhu and Joshi.
- MayJoshi objects to the proposed change in Form 6, saying it cannot be altered without amending electoral rules; Sandhu later supports the objection.
- JulyForm 6 is changed to include SIR-linked questions for new voter applicants.
- AugustSandhu raises concerns that some state election officials lacked "proper and complete access" to ERONet.
- September 21The SIR-linked question is removed from Form 6, as per the report.
- Wednesday (as reported)EC sources tell HT that all decisions, including SIR, were unanimous with the approval of all three commissioners.
Who has a stake
- Election Commission of India — Institutional credibility and the perception that it functions as a collegial three-member body taking unanimous decisions.
- CEC Gyanesh Kumar — Objections were copied to him; faces questions on whether orders were issued without both commissioners' knowledge.
- Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — Their recorded objections on Form 6, ERONet centralisation, deletions and appeals; their role in collective decision-making.
- Voters, including 97 in Goa and those in West Bengal — Registration as new voters, protection from deletion after judicial scrutiny, and inclusion in the final electoral roll.
- Opposition parties (DMK, AAP, Shiv Sena UBT, CPI(M)) — Leaders TKS Elangovan, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Raut and John Brittas questioned the EC after the report.
- Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan — Received separate letters from both commissioners about changes in the EC's IT work and reduced oversight.
- Electoral Registration Officers and state election officials — Software and access limits affected their ability to record decisions on eligible voters and use ERONet fully.
Why it matters
The electoral roll is the foundation of the right to vote, and the reported disputes go to the heart of who can add, delete or alter voter records and under what legal authority. If forms prescribed under electoral rules can be changed without amending them, or if database controls are centralised without the full Commission's agreement, both legality and internal checks within a constitutional body come into question. The EC's assertion of unanimity is therefore central to public trust in the SIR exercise.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- The Election Commission of India is a three-member body: the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners; CEC is Gyanesh Kumar.
- Form 6 is the application form used to register as a new voter; it is prescribed under electoral rules.
- ERONet is the platform used for electoral-roll work; ECINet is a newer platform integrating several election-related services.
- SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
- Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) decide on inclusion of eligible voters in the roll; in Goa 97 eligible voters could not be added due to software limits.
- Cabinet Secretary named in the story: T V Somanathan.
Mains framing
The reported internal disagreements within the Election Commission raise a core question of constitutional practice: whether a multi-member commission is functioning collegially or whether decisions are being issued in its name without the concurrence of all members. The specific grounds of objection reported — altering Form 6 without amending the electoral rules, the \"gradual centralisation\" of the electoral-roll database in Delhi, appeals seeking deletion of voters whose names survived judicial scrutiny in West Bengal, and software that prevented EROs in Goa from recording decisions on 97 eligible voters — point to two distinct risks: procedural illegality in rule-bound processes, and technology design that can effectively override statutory decision-makers. The commissioners' proposal for an audit to ensure only authorised officials can alter voter records, and their letters to the Cabinet Secretary on IT oversight, suggest the remedy lies in documented internal protocols, role-based access controls with audit trails, and adherence to rule-amendment procedure before changing statutory forms. The EC's statement that all decisions including SIR were unanimous seeks to close the credibility gap; a transparent record of how disagreements are resolved would do more, since the legitimacy of an electoral roll rests as much on visible due process as on the final outcome.
Key terms
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
- An intensive revision exercise of electoral rolls; new Form 6 applicants were asked if their or an ancestor's name appeared in the previous SIR roll.
- Form 6
- The statutory application form prescribed under electoral rules through which a person registers as a new voter.
- ERONet
- The Election Commission's digital system used for electoral-roll work, including updating voter records.
- ECINet
- A newer EC platform that brings together several election-related services.
- Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)
- The official who decides on applications for inclusion in and deletion from the electoral roll of a constituency.
- Election Commissioner
- One of the two members of the ECI alongside the CEC; here Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Practice questions
- The Election Commission of India is a multi-member body. Examine how internal dissent within such a constitutional body should be recorded and resolved, using the reported objections on Form 6 and ERONet as illustration.
- "Digital systems for electoral rolls can strengthen accuracy but also concentrate control." Discuss with reference to ERONet centralisation and the Goa case where 97 eligible voters could not be added.
- Can a statutory form prescribed under electoral rules be modified administratively? Discuss the implications of the reported Form 6 change for the rule of law in electoral administration.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.