The Election Commission asserts that decisions related to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls were taken unanimously, disputes reports about internal differences, and clarifies the revised declaration for new voters is separate from Form 6.
On Monday, the Election Commission (EC) informed the Supreme Court that all decisions concerning the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were reached unanimously by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two election commissioners, as reported by Hindustan Times. However, The Indian Express revealed that EC members Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected 14 times in ten months to decisions related to SIR, arguing some were made without their knowledge. In response, the EC dismissed media reports suggesting internal disagreements and allegations of unilateral or authoritarian actions by Kumar, as reported by The Hindu. Concerning these allegations, the EC stated that only the additional declaration attached to Form 6 for registering new voters had been revised, not the form itself, according to Bar and Bench. The EC also pointed out that displaying the revised declaration alongside Form 6 online could be perceived as an amendment. Since June 2025, questions have arisen about the implementation of SIR due to concerns it may deny genuine electors their right to vote and potentially influence election outcomes, as reported by Scroll. Despite the Supreme Court validating the legality of the exercise in May, some BJP-ruled states have used SIR to deny ration cards and passport renewals to individuals eliminated from the rolls. Protests against Kumar regarding alleged irregularities in the voter roll revision have been ongoing since October 2.
Source:
Scroll.in
