NEW DELHI: Faced with criticism for ECs S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi being cut out of crucial decisions regarding SIR of electoral rolls, Election Commission Wednesday said the “operational queries, inputs and suggestions” raised by the two commissioners, including SIR, remained limited to the draft stages and were part of the standard administrative practice and decision-making process, reports Bharti Jain.All decisions taken by the poll panel in the past one year, including SIR, “are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full commission”, EC asserted in a statement, rebutting the contention that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was acting unilaterally.EC was reacting to a report in Indian Express claiming Sandhu and Joshi had objected to steps taken by the poll panel on 14 occasions over 10 months, including changes made to Form 6 as part of SIR, denying field officers access to electoral roll databases and even postings and foreign tours involving EC personnel.
Focusing on some notes while ignoring others gives only one part of picture: EC
Sandhu and Joshi even wrote to the cabinet secretary separately on July 29, complaining about redistribution of work by the senior deputy election commissioner (DEC) in charge of administration at EC and the resultant centralisation of decision-making, said the report.In its statement, EC said differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution before a final decision is taken. “Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances are standard, ongoing practices to ensure transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour,” EC said. “All its actions as well as official orders, decisions and administrative decisions have been in accordance with laws and the commission’s instructions.““Highlighting certain specific internal notes/observations spread over 10 months while overlooking the much larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives gives only one part of the picture,” EC said, adding that its decisions, instructions, 40 new initiatives and conduct of polls in six states/UTs in the past year were all based on unanimous decisions.Sources in EC said the objections were largely raised in written notes sent by the election commissioners to DECs, in many cases after they had signed on the file concerned following a unanimous decision, including in the cases of changes made to Form 6. The two commissioners, Joshi in May and Sandhu in Aug, argued that changes could be carried out only by govt.However, sources said they afterwards, along with CEC Gyanesh Kumar, unanimously approved the file related to SIR orders for Bihar (Phase-1) and then a dozen states (Phase-2 of SIR), which listed the revised Form 6 and the accompanying declaration on citizenship. In fact, by the time Sandhu objected, SC had already upheld SIR’s validity and the process followed by EC.Regarding Sandhu raising the issue of who had authorised filing of appeals on EC’s behalf before SIR tribunals in Bengal, sources told TOI this was as per SC’s order dated April 1, 2026, particularly para 9 that stated appeals may be filed by “persons whose names have been excluded from the voters list” or “by the authorities of EC, who may be aggrieved by the inclusion of names by the adjudicatory authorities”.
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On the commissioners’ alleged objection to centralisation of electoral roll database or ERONet/ECINet, allegedly with restricted access to field officers like electoral registration officers to decide on addition or deletion of names, EC said digital platforms operate under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering, manipulation, etc. Sources in EC did not contest Joshi’s claim that agenda and minutes of EC meetings were not being circulated but said this has been the norm since the present commission took office.Reacting to Sandhu’s claim he had learnt of EC’s new IT modules, portals, etc. from the media, sources said both Sandhu and Joshi were present at ECINet’s launch.
