The Election Commission of India is facing growing questions over its handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after two Election Commissioners reportedly raised objections to several decisions over the past 10 months. The issue has triggered demands for clarification from some members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), while opposition parties and civil society groups have stepped up protests.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are reported to have recorded at least 14 objections since November 2025 on issues connected with voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, appeals against electoral-roll decisions and control of voter databases. Some of their concerns were also sent to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The objections have brought the internal functioning of the three-member poll panel into focus. The reported concerns include changes to Form 6, which is used by citizens seeking registration as voters, the management of electoral-roll software and the extent of access available to state-level election officials.
One major point of disagreement concerns Form 6. A new declaration linked applications from first-time voters to the electoral roll used during an earlier SIR. Applicants were asked whether their own name, or that of a parent or grandparent, appeared on the earlier roll. Sandhu and Joshi had objected to the change, with Sandhu later describing it as unauthorised and calling for its removal.
The two commissioners also raised concerns over the increasing centralisation of the electoral-roll database. Their objections focused on the ECINet and related digital systems used to manage voter information. They questioned whether Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who have statutory responsibilities at the constituency level, had adequate access to the database and the ability to implement decisions taken locally.
The issue gained further attention after an incident in Goa involving 97 voters. Local election officials had reportedly found the voters eligible after examining documents, but the software did not allow their decisions to be recorded before the final electoral roll was published. The two commissioners had raised broader concerns about such technology-related restrictions and the need to protect the authority of statutory officials.
Questions have also emerged over the handling of appeals linked to the SIR in West Bengal. The Supreme Court had earlier directed judicial officers to examine cases involving voters flagged for discrepancies. The commission later told the court that 38 lakh appeals were pending before tribunals, including 22.21 lakh filed by voters seeking restoration of their names. Another 16.10 lakh appeals sought deletion of names. Sandhu questioned who had authorised appeals filed on behalf of the Election Commission.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that there is a breakdown in decision-making. It has said that individual views, notes and observations by commissioners are part of institutional deliberations and do not themselves constitute decisions of the Commission. The poll body has maintained that decisions on the SIR and related matters were taken unanimously and according to the prescribed legal process.
The controversy has nevertheless widened beyond the Election Commission itself. Union Minister Chirag Paswan and leaders of NDA allies, including the Telugu Desam Party and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, have called for the poll panel to explain the reported differences. Paswan said public confidence in the electoral process should be protected, while the other allies also sought clarification from the commission.
Union minister H D Kumaraswamy also called on the Election Commission to clarify what was happening within the constitutional body. He said the responsibility for addressing reports of internal differences rested with the commission itself.
Opposition parties have meanwhile intensified their criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR process. Congress-led protests were held in Delhi and several states, with demonstrators demanding Kumar’s resignation and opposing the electoral-roll revision exercise.
Police detained dozens of protesters near Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday after a gathering demanding changes to the SIR process and Kumar’s resignation. Another police account put the number of people detained from multiple locations at nearly 150. Authorities said the gatherings had not received the required permission and restrictions on assemblies were in place in the New Delhi district.
The controversy comes as the SIR has expanded across states and Union Territories. The exercise, which began in Bihar in 2025, is intended to update electoral rolls and identify discrepancies in voter records. Its implementation has become a major political issue because changes to electoral rolls directly affect voter registration and eligibility.
The legal framework governing the Election Commission also remains part of the debate. Under the 2023 law governing the appointment and service conditions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, the commission is expected to conduct its business as far as possible unanimously. Where members differ, decisions are taken according to the majority view.
With political parties, NDA allies and civil society groups now seeking greater clarity, attention is likely to remain on the Election Commission’s explanation of the SIR process, its internal decision-making and safeguards for voter registration and deletion. The issue also places renewed focus on the importance of accurate electoral rolls and transparent procedures as the revision exercise continues.
