Election Commission Clarifies SIR Procedures Amidst Internal Disputes

Election Commission's Assurance on Voter List Revisions

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) confirmed on Saturday that all Special Intensive Revision (SIR) orders were sanctioned by all three Election Commissioners, and the modifications in Form 6, which facilitates the addition of names to the electoral roll, have received the Supreme Court's endorsement.

In light of the ongoing disagreements between Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other two commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the EC clarified that their correspondence with the Cabinet Secretary pertained to the performance of a specific officer on loan to the Commission, rather than any policy issues or IT matters.

The EC noted that the work re-distribution directives from the concerned officer were not executed following the orders from the two commissioners, and the oversight of the IT division by the Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) remained intact.

The Commission highlighted that it has made several significant decisions recently, including the SIR across the nation. The SIR order issued on June 24, 2025, which commenced with Bihar and extended to West Bengal and 30 other states/UTs, was unanimously approved by the Commission.

This order was upheld by the Supreme Court of India in its ruling dated May 27, 2026.

The SIR schedule for 12 states and UTs was released on October 27, 2025, while that for 19 states/UTs was announced on May 14, 2026, both with the Commission's unanimous consent.

The total number of voters will be finalized only after the completion of the final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase-III.

The declaration associated with Form 6 for SIR has been validated by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. During the non-SIR period, the applicable forms will adhere to the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.

The EC stated that agendas for all meetings will be shared in advance, and minutes will be documented.

Furthermore, the Commission emphasized that all directives from the commissioners to the electoral body’s officers will be strictly followed.

This marks the second statement from the EC following reports that Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns multiple times regarding decisions related to the SIR, leading to calls for CEC Kumar's removal and the cancellation of the SIR.

The Commission had previously addressed these issues on the same day the media highlighted internal conflicts.

Additionally, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Goa has instructed the relevant Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct door-to-door outreach to gather forms from voters who were previously overlooked.

Out of 97 voters, 81 have already submitted Form 6 for inclusion.

The EC also clarified that individuals receiving notices in relation to the SIR are not required to attend personal hearings unless in exceptional circumstances.

The Election Commission reiterated that differing opinions and observations are a standard aspect of institutional discussions and affirmed that its orders are legally sound and comply with statutory protocols.