An investigation by The Indian Express has reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period over decisions and orders issued in the name of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Four of the objections were reportedly made on a single day.
The objections reportedly concerned key aspects of electoral-roll management, including adding new voters, deleting and restoring names, changes to Form 6 used for new voter registration, and the handling and security of the voter database. The two commissioners said some decisions were taken without their knowledge or approval.
One major issue involved changes to Form 6, with Sandhu describing a new declaration linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as “unauthorised and illegal” and calling for its removal. Joshi had also raised concerns that the statutory form could not be changed without amending the relevant electoral rules.
The commissioners also reportedly raised concerns about the centralisation of the electoral-roll database and IT systems in Delhi, including changes in the allocation of responsibilities relating to the technology infrastructure. They separately approached the Cabinet Secretary over some of these concerns.
The report comes amid the nationwide expansion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began in Bihar in 2025. The investigation says the objections touched on the core processes of voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, as well as the systems used to maintain electoral data.
The Election Commission has subsequently disputed the characterization of these exchanges as a split within the poll panel. In its response, the ECI said the notes and observations were part of the normal decision-making process and maintained that decisions taken by the full Commission during the period were unanimous.
