NEW DELHI, SEPT 26: The Election Commission on Saturday said all key decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken with the unanimous approval of all three Election Commissioners, rejecting reports suggesting differences within the poll panel over the exercise.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi attended the Commission’s meeting at Nirvachan Sadan, where the EC issued detailed clarifications on the SIR process and its internal functioning.
The Commission addressed several issues reportedly raised by Sandhu and Joshi, including changes to Form 6, access and functioning of the ECINET portal, redistribution of work in the IT division, appeals relating 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 prospective voters during the SIR process to establish linkage with the previous SIR through their parents’ names had been upheld by the Supreme Court. It clarified that outside the SIR exercise, forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would continue to be used.
Regarding ECINET, the Commission said field officers have role-based access based on their statutory powers. It announced a review of the portal by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and comprising an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT. Any additional flexibility required by field officers would also be made operational, the EC said.
The Commission further decided that future initiatives involving IT modules and portals would first be discussed by the committee of officers before being placed before the Commission for approval.
On the reported letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerning redistribution of work involving an officer on deputation, the EC said the matter was related to the functioning of the officer and not to any policy decision concerning the Commission or its IT division.
It added that the disputed work redistribution orders were not implemented following directions from the two commissioners, while oversight of the IT division by a Deputy Election Commissioner was never withdrawn.
On the SIR itself, the EC reiterated that its June 24, 2025 order launching the exercise across states and Union Territories was approved unanimously by all three commissioners. It said subsequent schedules were also approved unanimously and noted that the Supreme Court had upheld the original SIR order.
Addressing the issue of 97 voters in Goa who were left out of the electoral rolls, the Commission said the Chief Electoral Officer had directed Booth Level Officers to undertake house-to-house visits and collect the required forms. Of the 97 voters, 81 had already submitted Form 6 for inclusion.
To strengthen internal functioning, the EC said agendas for Commission meetings would henceforth be circulated in advance and minutes would be issued. Directions issued by individual commissioners to officials would also be meticulously complied with.
The Commission also extended the deadline for filing claims and objections under SIR in Delhi to October 30, with disposal targeted by November 30. In Maharashtra, the corresponding deadlines were extended to October 12 and November 10.
The developments come amid a wider political controversy over the SIR exercise, with opposition parties citing reported objections by the two Election Commissioners to question the functioning of the poll panel and demanding greater transparency.
The EC’s latest statement, however, maintained that internal deliberations should not be conflated with formal decisions and reiterated that its major decisions on the SIR were taken collectively and unanimously.
