Who ordered TCS to make Form 6 changes? Rahul Gandhi
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has questioned who at the Election Commission ordered Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to make changes in Form 6 used for fresh voter registration. He asked if TCS was pressured into making these changes. "The online Form 6 was changed illegally, as the EC's own Commissioners have recorded," he said. "Who at the ECI ordered Tata Consultancy Services to make that change? Who at TCS signed off on it? And were they pressured into doing it?"
Declaration withdrawal
ECI withdraws additional declaration from online Form 6
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has withdrawn the additional Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related declaration from Form 6 in states where the electoral roll revision exercise is complete.
This means new applicants in these states will only submit the regular statutory Form 6 for voter enrollment.
In states and Union Territories still undergoing SIR, this additional declaration remains on the ECINET portal. New applicants there must link themselves or their parents or grandparents to earlier SIR-prepared electoral rolls.
Declaration purpose
Decision taken after full commission meeting on September 26
The decision to withdraw the additional declaration was taken after a meeting of the full Commission on September 26.
After the meeting, the poll panel clarified that this declaration was "specifically for SIR" and that "for non-SIR period, the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used."
ECI
Amendment can only be made by Union Law Ministry
The Form 6 issue had reportedly triggered objections within the commission.
The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised concerns, arguing that such amendments can only be made by the Union Law Ministry under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Sandhu described the change as "unauthorized/illegal" and sought its removal.
Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, only the Central government can amend the voter enrollment, deletion and correction forms.