The Election Commission of India has once again clarified that all orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list were issued unanimously after the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners.
The Election Commission also said that the Supreme Court has approved the changes made to Form 6 for adding the names of new voters to the voters’ list.
The Election Commission gave this clarification on Saturday amid controversy over allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had issued orders on his own in the SIR exercise without the knowledge of the two Election Commissioners.
A recent report in an English newspaper that there had been a sharp disagreement between Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over various SIR-related decisions, including the mass deletion of voters’ names and changes made in Form 6, created a stir across the country.
Following this, opposition parties including the Congress and Mamata-led Trinamool Congress have been continuously demanding that Gyanesh Kumar resign. The opposition is also considering bringing an impeachment motion against him again in Parliament.
In this context, after the SIR controversy, Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi participated for the first time in the Election Commission’s consultative meeting held in Delhi on Saturday. Following this, the press release issued by the Election Commission to clarify the controversy stated: Over the past few months, the Election Commission has taken several important decisions related to electoral procedures, including carrying out the SIR exercise across the country.
Only after the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners unanimously approved it were orders issued to begin SIR work in Bihar in the first phase on June 24, 2025, and for 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, on Oct. 27, 2025, and for the remaining 19 states and Union Territories on May 14, 2026.
The Supreme Court has approved the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and the changes made to Form 6 for adding the names of new voters. When SIR work is not being carried out, Form 6 will be provided to add new voters under the Voter Registration Rules, 1960. The total number of voters in the country will be known only after the third phase of SIR work is fully completed.
Differences of opinion are natural: It is only natural for differences of opinion to arise among officials when making various important decisions, including the election process and the voter list. However, as stated recently, it is not true to say that two Election Commissioners wrote a letter to the Union Ministry Secretary regarding differences of opinion with the Chief Election Commissioner; it did not mention the Election Commission’s policy decisions or the functioning of the information technology division.
Instead, the work reallocation orders issued by an officer after the orders of two election commissioners were not properly implemented. It was in this regard that a letter was written to the Union Ministry secretary. The responsibility for overseeing the commission’s information technology division was never taken back from the deputy election commissioner.
Voters do not need to go in person: Of the 97 voters left out in Goa, 81 have already filled out Form 6. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has instructed booth-level officers to go directly to the homes of voters omitted from the electoral roll and collect Form 6. Under the SIR exercise, those who have been issued notices do not need to appear in person to respond to the inquiry unless it is unavoidable.
Special camp to add names to the list: The SIR exercise has already been completed in 20 states and Union Territories. During or after the SIR, those who have been left out of the voter list, including young/first-time voters, may apply to the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). State Chief Electoral Officers have been instructed to implement this. Based on this, the CEO, District Election Officer (DEO), and ERO have been instructed to immediately begin a special camp.
Extension in Delhi and Maharashtra: In response to the request of the Chief Electoral Officers of Delhi and Maharashtra, the deadline for submitting voters’ claims and objections is being extended.
In Delhi, claims from voters were to be received until Oct. 30 and resolved by Nov. 30. In Maharashtra, claims were to be received until Oct. 12 and resolved by Nov. 10, it was stated.
It is noteworthy that, after a report in an English newspaper said that the two Election Commissioners had differences of opinion with the Chief Election Commissioner on various issues, the Election Commission issued an explanation for the second time.
