Outrage as report reveals dissent in ECI amid SIR deletions
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has come under fire from opposition leaders after an Indian Express investigation revealed that two of its commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised concerns over the electoral roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The report said Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times in 10 months. The objections were against decisions taken in the name of the ECI without their knowledge.
Revision disputes
Controversial change to Form 6
The objections covered the addition and deletion of voters, changes to Form 6 used for new voter registration, and concerns over the centralization of electoral-roll data and software.
According to the report, the two commissioners called steps on new voters "unauthorized and illegal" and warned against voter database access being "centralized' in Delhi, bypassing state officials.
The investigation also highlighted a case in Goa where 97 verified voters couldn't be added to the electoral roll due to software limitations.
Unanswered queries
They wrote to Cabinet Secretary
The report further said Joshi and Sandhu separately wrote to the Cabinet Secretary protesting about changes in work allocation that removed a layer of oversight of the IT backbone for the electoral rolls.
They made it clear that these changes were made without their knowledge.
The SIR of electoral rolls, which began in June 2025, has led to over 13 crore names being deleted from the draft rolls in 30 states and Union Territories so far.
Impeachment suggestion
Abhishek Singhvi to address the media
The ECI says the SIR was launched to weed out bogus, duplicate, and ineligible voters.
However, the opposition alleged it was a strategic voter roll clean-up drive benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Now this latest report has only increased their doubts on the SIR process.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said his party colleague Abhishek Singhvi would address the media on the report's "sensational revelations" and discuss what he described as concerns over the credibility and integrity of the ECI.
Congress
There is 'invisible hand' running the ECI
Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tiwari said if the ostensible facts as reported are correct, "then it seems to suggest that there is an ' invisible hand ' running the ECI."
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose described the investigation as "striking" and alleged that the poll panel is being turned into a "one-man show."
Akhilesh Yadav urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter.
Credibility concerns
Questions on credibility of ECI
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke also chimed in, calling chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar "the enemy of India."
"More than 12 crore names have reportedly been deleted from electoral rolls. That is roughly 12.4% of the 97 crore registered electorate around the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The gap between the BJP-led NDA and the opposition was just 2%. Gyanesh Kumar isn't conducting elections, he is scripting them," Dipke wrote on X.