'All Decisions, Including SIR, Unanimous’: EC Sources Rejects Reports Of Disquiet

All the decisions taken by the Election Commission, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were approved by all three members of the commission, sources told Hindustan Times after reports of internal disapproval between election commissioners over some decisions emerged.

The Indian Express On Wednesday reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions issued in the commission’s name over a 10-month period. The report claimed that the two commissioners raised concerns on at least 14 occasions between November 2025 and August 2026, including four instances on a single day.

The issues highlighted in the report involved changes to Form 6, control over electoral roll databases, voter deletion appeals in West Bengal and the inability to add certain eligible voters to the final electoral rolls in Goa.

Responding to the report, EC sources told Hindustan Times that there was no division among the commissioners and that all decisions were taken with the approval of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

“All decisions of the Election Commission of India, including SIR, have been unanimous and with the approval of both the Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner,” the sources said in a statement to Hindustan Times.

Questions Over Changes To Form 6

One of the issues mentioned in The Indian Express report related to modifications made to Form 6, which is used by citizens applying for inclusion in the electoral rolls as new voters.

According to the report, the form was altered in July during the SIR process to include questions asking applicants whether their own name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, appeared in electoral rolls prepared during the previous SIR.

The report said Joshi objected to the change in May, arguing that Form 6 was prescribed under electoral rules and could not be modified without amending the relevant provisions. Sandhu later supported the objection, according to the report.

The report claimed that despite these objections, the additional questions continued to remain part of the form until September 21.

Concerns Over Electoral Database Control

Another area of concern highlighted in the report was the management of voter data through the EC’s digital platforms.

The EC uses ERONet for electoral roll-related activities, while ECINet is a broader platform integrating multiple election services.

According to The Indian Express, Joshi raised concerns over what he described as the gradual centralisation of electoral roll databases. He suggested an audit to ensure that only officials authorised under law could make changes to voter records.

Sandhu also reportedly raised similar concerns in August, saying that some state election officials did not have “proper and complete access” to ERONet.

The report said the two commissioners were concerned that changes to the information technology systems could affect oversight over voter databases.

West Bengal And Goa Cases Under Scrutiny

The report also cited objections related to voter registration issues in West Bengal and Goa.

In West Bengal, Sandhu questioned the process behind appeals seeking deletion of names of voters whose inclusion had already been examined through judicial scrutiny, according to the report.

In Goa, the report said 97 voters who had been found eligible by Electoral Registration Officers could not be added to the final rolls because the software system did not allow officials to record their decisions.

The report further claimed that Sandhu and Joshi separately approached Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan over changes involving the EC’s IT systems.

According to the report, the commissioners argued that some changes had been introduced without their knowledge and could reduce checks on the systems managing electoral data. The order related to those changes was later set aside, and the earlier arrangement was restored until the commission reached a decision.