Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have raised various allegations, including that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list led to the removal of around 1.3 crore names from the electoral roll, that changes were made in violation of the rules in 'Form 6', that the database was centralized, and that several orders were issued without the approval of the election commissioners.
Moreover, reports said that both commissioners had objected 14 times in 10 months, stating that major decisions were being taken without their knowledge. As a result, the differences of opinion among officials within the Election Commission have come to light. Discussions on this have also begun widely in public forums.
At the same time, the Election Commission officially responded to this allegation. It stated, ``Highlighting only a few specific internal discussions that took place over the past 10 months does not present the full truth. The voter list reforms carried out across the country over the past year (including SIR) and more than 40 new initiatives were all decisions taken with the unanimous approval of the entire Commission. Furthermore, various state elections have also been successfully conducted and completed." It noted.
In this situation, DMK leader Stalin, on his X page, said, ``DMK and other opposition parties have been continuously opposing the move to remove the names of millions of voters from the electoral rolls in the name of SIR. In several states, where only a few months remained for the elections, this hastily conducted SIR exercise involved numerous irregularities and, in particular, caused major uproar in West Bengal.
The evidence-based investigative report published today by 'The Indian Express' has raised serious doubts about the results of all legislative assembly elections held after this voter list revision.
The report has exposed that Chief Election Commissioner Mr. Gyanesh Kumar has been acting independently and secretly, without the approval of the other two election commissioners.
The most shocking thing about this is that the important decisions taken within an organization that they jointly administer have been concealed without informing either of the Election Commissioners, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Mr. Vivek Joshi.
Their objections to decisions being made without their knowledge have been ignored and dismissed 14 times in just ten months. This issue has completely undermined the credibility of the Election Commission itself. The Election Commission is a collegial body consisting of three members; its decisions should, as far as possible, be taken unanimously with everyone’s consent. If differences of opinion arise among the commissioners, decisions should be based on the preference of the majority of members.
But if what is happening in the name of the Commission has been concealed from two of its three members without their knowledge, it cannot be dismissed as a mere administrative lapse. This is a brutal attack on Indian democracy. The integrity of a high constitutional body that is supposed to function independently, transparently, and free from political interference has been called into question here.
The developments in the voter list revision are also highly shocking. Even after the court itself ordered that the names of eligible voters be added, appeals were filed on behalf of the Election Commission against it. They have said that the details of who authorized these appeals and who filed them are not even known to the other two Election Commissioners currently in office. Legally, only the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have full authority to examine and revise the voter list.
However, even voters who have met all the qualifications and should have been properly added have been blocked, leaving officials unable to include them. The digital platform called 'ERONet' for making changes to the voter list has been operating entirely under the control of a single individual. When sitting Election Commissioners themselves make such serious allegations, it becomes clear to what extent political interference must have existed within the Election Commission.
For this very reason, as early as last March, the DMK and other opposition parties together brought forward an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Having acted arbitrarily and undermined democracy, he has no right to continue in that post any longer. Mr. Gyanesh Kumar should resign immediately. Likewise, this SIR exercise should also be stopped immediately. The DMK firmly insists that an honest and thorough investigation be conducted into all the irregularities that have taken place within the Election Commission, and that all those responsible be punished before the law," he noted.