The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported that there have been no dissenting opinions from any Election Commissioner since February 19, 2025. This statement follows scrutiny over the Commission’s processes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, particularly in light of a recent report from The Indian Express.

The report highlighted that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had allegedly expressed their objections formally on 14 occasions regarding various decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The objections mentioned in the report have reportedly revolved around multiple aspects of the SIR process.

These include the centralisation of the ECINet electoral roll database, modifications to Form 6, and the removal of certain names from the electoral lists. Amid growing concerns, parties within the INDIA bloc convened to deliberate on the SIR process and raised questions regarding the operational integrity of the Election Commission.

Details of the Special Intensive Revision Process

According to sources within the Election Commission, the SIR is characterised as a statutory procedure established for revising electoral rolls effectively. They stated that all decisions made by the three-member panel of commissioners since February 19 have been unanimous. The primary aim of the SIR is to accurately identify deceased, duplicate, fraudulent, and relocated voters while ensuring that eligible voters are retained in the electoral rolls.

In response to concerns regarding Form 6, utilised by new voters wishing to register or update their information, the sources confirmed that no changes have been made to the form. When addressing the legal scrutiny surrounding the SIR, the Commission noted that the Supreme Court has permitted the exercise to proceed without any suspensions, while instituting necessary safeguards to protect voters.

The SIR has been described as a robust process that has been in operation for several years. The Election Commission clarified that documentation requirements are only applicable to voters born after 1987. Additionally, any errors related to the mapping of names are being rectified using software designed specifically for this purpose, ensuring that fraudulent or duplicated entries do not persist within the electoral rolls.

Concerns and Clarifications from Officials

The Election Commission has emphasised that the processes for adding and removing names from the electoral rolls are decentralised, carried out by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). Reports indicate that none of the nearly 25,000 officials involved in the SIR process have voiced any complaints regarding the procedures in place.

Addressing specific concerns, the sources informed that issues surrounding certain individual voter cases, including those of 97 voters from Goa excluded from the electoral rolls due to a technical error, were under review. Out of these, 88 names have since been added, while three individuals were found to be citizens of Portugal and six were overseas at the time of revision. The remaining cases are presently being verified to ensure accuracy.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also expressed apprehensions over 727 voters allegedly being removed from the electoral rolls at Bela Estate. The Election Commission clarified that the addition of new names continues in Delhi, and factors such as the absence of individuals during verification visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) hindered the process of obtaining signatures or validation.

It was reiterated that anyone submitting a signed SIR form to a BLO would have their details confirmed in the draft electoral roll. Furthermore, the demands from the Election Commission to restore approximately 11 crore voters centre on the need for completion of re-verification before any names can be reinstated.

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