SIR row: EC claimed ‘unanimity’ – so why is Opposition demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal?

The Election Commission has announced changes to the SIR verification process, including home visits by BLOs and online hearings. The dispute also involves the SIR declaration on Form 6, questions over ECINET access and allegations related to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s past conduct.

New Delhi: Far from settling the storm, the Election Commission’s latest clarification on its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has only added fuel to the political fire. Even as the poll body touts unanimous approval among its top three commissioners and promises a smoother verification process, Opposition outrage shows no signs of abating.

The Congress has rejected the explanation and is continuing its protests against the EC. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and several National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies have backed the Election Commission’s statement, saying it clears up reports of differences within the poll panel. The Opposition plans to take up the issue at a larger political level, with the Congress protests scheduled in several states on September 28 and meetings of the Congress Working Committee and INDIA bloc planned for September 29 and 30.

The controversy followed a report in The Indian Express about objections allegedly raised by Sandhu and Joshi over several decisions involving SIR, Form 6, access to electoral-roll data and the EC’s IT systems. The report said the two commissioners had raised objections to at least 14 decisions or communications over the past several months.

The commission’s September 26 statement addressed several of those issues. The political dispute has continued because the Congress says some specific objections have not got a direct answer.

What did the EC say?

The commission has announced that booth level officers (BLOs) will visit voters who receive notices over “unmapped records” or “logical discrepancies”. They will collect the required documents from their homes, meaning such voters will not have to appear personally before an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO).

Online hearings can also be held where necessary. The EC has directed officials to conduct a special enrolment drive for voters whose names were left out and has also ordered a review of the ECINET by a committee headed by a senior deputy election commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT.

The commission has also said agendas for its meetings should be circulated in advance and minutes should be issued. It said directions issued by election commissioners to officials should be followed.

The changes came after questions were raised over the experience of voters who received notices during the SIR. The Supreme Court has also asked the EC to explain the basis for notices issued under the “logical discrepancy” category during the Delhi SIR.

Why is Form 6 still a major issue?

Form 6 is used by citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll as new voters. One of the main disagreements is over an additional SIR-related declaration added to the online version of Form 6 on ECINET.

Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had objected to the change. Joshi questioned whether a statutory form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, could be changed without an amendment to those rules. Sandhu supported the objection and later described the SIR-related change as "unauthorised/illegal".

The EC said no change has been made in the Form 6. It has described the additional declaration as an SIR-specific requirement and said the Supreme Court had upheld it.

The Congress continues to challenge this explanation. It leader Pawan Khera has argued that the 1960 rules cannot be changed without being amended and has asked whether the commission has directly answered the objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi. "The 1960 Rules cannot be changed without being amended in Parliament. The biggest point of difference between Sandhu ji and Joshi with Gyanesh Kumar was this, and did we receive the answer to it today?" he told PTI.

Young voters also become flashpoint

The issue also feeds into the question of first-time voters. The Congress has asked what happens to young voters who may have been left out during SIR in states where elections have already taken place.

Khera has raised the cases of Bihar and West Bengal and questioned the position of voters who could not get their names added during the exercise.

The EC has directed special camps for young voters in Delhi on September 29 and 30. It has also said that 2.73 crore young voters have been enrolled since 2025.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has questioned the timing and purpose of the camps, arguing that the Form 6 declaration creates an additional hurdle for young people applying for registration.

ECINET is another battleground

Access to electoral-roll data and the functioning of ECINET have become another part of the dispute. Sandhu and Joshi had raised questions about centralised voter data and the access available to election authorities.

Joshi proposed an audit to check whether only authorised officials had credentials to make changes to the database, while Sandhu questioned restrictions on access available to state-level officials.

The Election Commission has now decided to set up a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT to review ECINET’s compliance with election laws and rules. It has also said field officers will have role-based access based on their statutory powers.

The EC has further decided that new IT modules and portals will be discussed by a Committee of Officers before being placed before the full commission.

Why the political fight is continuing

The Congress has described the EC’s new measures as insufficient. Jairam Ramesh called the changes "a desperate attempt at damage control" and said the measures would not address “large-scale” voter deletions.

The party has also announced protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said district-level protests would be held on September 28. Party units in several states have announced similar programmes.

The Communist Party of India (Maxist) or CPI(M) has also rejected the EC’s explanation and called for action against Kumar. Opposition leaders have been mulling over a coordinated response, including the demand for Kumar’s removal.

BJP, NDA allies back EC explanation

The BJP has welcomed the Election Commission’s statement. Its leaders have argued that the clarification settles the claim that the three commissioners were divided over SIR.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the commission’s statement rejected the claim that differences over administrative issues had reached the cabinet secretary. BJP President Nitin Nabin has also accused the Congress of trying to create a political issue around the poll panel.

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu described the EC's statement as a "unanimous clarification" and said it addressed misconceptions about the functioning of the constitutional body.

Earlier, LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan had called for clearer answers from the EC on the issues being raised.

Congress takes the issue to the streets

The Congress has decided to continue its campaign against the EC. The party has announced protests in several states on September 28, with demands including action against CEC Kumar. Telangana Congress, for instance, has announced demonstrations at district headquarters. The Jharkhand Congress has also planned protests across the state.

The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on September 29. The INDIA bloc is expected to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss the SIR exercise and the EC. Opposition parties have also been working on a removal notice against Kumar, according to reports.

The CPI(M), the CPI and the CPI(ML)-Liberation have separately demanded Kumar’s removal and a halt to SIR, while DMK chief MK Stalin has also called for action against the CEC.

What is the Jiji Thomson allegation?

A new controversy involving Kumar has also added another dimension to the political dispute. Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson has claimed that the CEC, who was then posted in the state, suggested during a flight to Delhi in 2016 that he contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket.

He said he declined the suggestion. He told Onmanorama that Kumar suggested he could contest from Pathanamthitta, become an MP and later become a Union minister.

Citing his llegation while attacking Kumar on September 26, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "First, Gyanesh Kumar, then a serving IAS officer, was used to recruit for the BJP. Then Modi and Shah made him the umpire and put him in charge of match-fixing India’s elections."

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