New Delhi, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Election Commission of India on Saturday sought to address reports of differences within the poll panel, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi holding a full Commission meeting at Nirvachan Sadan and issuing clarifications on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Form 6 and the ECINET system.
In a detailed statement, the ECI said the June 24, 2025 order initiating SIR across states and Union Territories was approved unanimously by all three Commissioners. It said subsequent schedules connected with the exercise were also approved unanimously and noted that the Supreme Court had upheld the original SIR order.
The Commission also addressed the controversy surrounding Form 6, which is used for registration of new voters. It said the declaration introduced in the form during the SIR exercise, requiring applicants to establish their linkage with the previous SIR through their own or their parents’ names, had been upheld by the Supreme Court.
At the same time, the ECI clarified that outside the SIR exercise, the statutory Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would continue to apply.
On the enrolment of 97 voters in Goa who were initially left out of the electoral rolls, the Commission said the Chief Electoral Officer had directed Booth Level Officers to conduct house-to-house visits and collect the required forms. Of the 97 voters, 81 had already submitted Form 6 for inclusion.
The Commission also announced a review of ECINET, its technology platform for electoral-roll and other election-related processes. The review will be conducted by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and will include an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT.
The move follows reports that Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns on multiple occasions over aspects of SIR, Form 6 and access to electoral-roll databases. The Indian Express reported that the two Commissioners had recorded objections over several decisions during the past 10 months.
The ECI also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary related to the redistribution of work involving an officer on deputation and was not connected with any policy decision concerning the Commission or its IT division.
To strengthen its internal procedures, the poll panel said agendas for Commission meetings would be circulated in advance and minutes issued subsequently. It also said directions issued by Commissioners to officials would be complied with meticulously.
The Commission further extended the SIR-related deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, while reiterating that its major decisions had been taken collectively and with unanimous approval.
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