ECI Says All Decisions Unanimous After Report Flags Internal Objections

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday rejected a report alleging serious differences within the poll panel, saying that internal objections, technical suggestions and checks are a normal part of deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body, and that all its decisions over the past year were taken unanimously.

The response came after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times over 10 months on decisions concerning voter registration, deletion of names, electoral-roll databases and other aspects of the poll process.

The three-member Election Commission currently comprises Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi.

In its press note, the ECI said it functions under Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions. It said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances were part of its regular functioning and were intended to ensure transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour.

“Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution,” the Commission said, adding that such views form part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken. It also said that not only the three Commissioners but every officer of the Commission was authorised to make suggestions for improving the electoral system.

What Did The Indian Express Report Find?

The Indian Express investigation said Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected to several decisions and orders which they said had been taken or issued without their knowledge. Their objections covered issues including the addition of new voters, deletion and restoration of names, appeals against decisions in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and access to the electoral-roll database.

Among the issues highlighted was a change to Form 6, the application used by people seeking registration as new voters. The report said Joshi had questioned whether the form could be altered without an amendment to the rules, while Sandhu later described the change as “unauthorised and illegal”.

The two Commissioners also raised concerns about what they described as the gradual centralisation of access to electoral-roll databases. The investigation reported that they questioned whether statutory officials such as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) continued to have complete access to the systems used to maintain voter rolls.

Their concerns extended to the integrity of the electoral software. According to the report, Sandhu and Joshi separately approached the Cabinet Secretary over changes in the allocation of work relating to the Commission’s IT systems.

The investigation also reported a dispute over appeals filed in West Bengal during the SIR process and an incident in Goa where software reportedly prevented EROs from recording the eligibility of 97 voters despite their documents having been accepted.

What Has The ECI Said?

The poll panel said the objections cited in the report were operational inputs or suggestions made during the drafting stage and should not be treated as final decisions of the Commission.

It also pushed back against the focus on individual internal notes, saying that looking at selected observations over a 10-month period without considering the larger body of approvals, decisions and instructions gives only “one part of the picture”.

According to the ECI, the Commission has taken numerous decisions, issued instructions, introduced around 40 initiatives and undertaken electoral reforms, including electoral-roll revision and SIR across the country. It said all these decisions were the outcome of unanimous decisions of the full Commission during the past year.

The Commission also said it had successfully conducted elections and related exercises in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal during this period.

On concerns over voter data and software, the ECI said its digital platforms, including ECINet, operate under strict data-security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation. It added that Electoral Registration Officers and District Election Officers exercise their statutory powers relating to registration and deletion under the law.

The Commission said all official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by it carry legal sanction and follow statutory procedures under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

The ECI concluded that it remained committed to carrying out its constitutional responsibilities with integrity, while stressing that internal deliberations and differences of view should not be confused with a lack of unanimity in final decisions.