A fresh controversy has erupted around the Election Commission of India (ECI) after a media report claimed that two of its three members had formally objected to several key decisions taken by the poll body. The story has triggered sharp reactions from Opposition parties, while the ECI has strongly denied any rift.
What the report alleges
According to the report published on 23 September 2026, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months on issues linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The alleged objections include:
- Large-scale voter deletions: Concerns over more than 13 crore names being removed from draft voter lists across 30 States and Union Territories under SIR.
- “Unauthorised, illegal” steps: Claims that some decisions on adding new voters, deleting or restoring names were taken without proper approval of the full Commission.
- Centralisation of voter data: Worries that the new ECINet system was being used to shift control of electoral rolls from district-level officers to a central unit in Delhi, with the two ECs reportedly writing to the Cabinet Secretary over work-allocation orders.
- Changes to registration and appeals: Objections to modifications in Form 6 (new voter registration) and the process for handling appeals against SIR orders.
ECI’s response
Later on the same day, the ECI issued a clarification. It said:
- All decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously by the CEC and both Election Commissioners.
- The reported “objections” were internal observations and technical suggestions, which are normal in a multi-member constitutional body, and not formal dissent.
- Sources quoted by other media outlets also said no Commissioner had recorded dissent; they had only made observations that were considered by the Commission.
Political reaction
The report quickly became a political flashpoint:
- Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, accused the ECI and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of compromising electoral integrity, with some calling the alleged moves an “act of treason”.
- CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas urged President Droupadi Murmu to intervene in the SIR dispute.
- Pro-government voices and some media outlets dismissed the story as exaggerated, arguing that routine internal discussions were being portrayed as an institutional crisis.
Why it matters
The controversy touches core aspects of India’s election management: how voter lists are revised, how decisions are made inside the ECI, and how much control is centralised through new technology like ECINet. If concerns about transparency and due process are real, they could affect public trust in the SIR exercise. If they are simply part of normal internal checks, the episode still shows how sensitive any hint of disagreement at the ECI is in today’s political climate.
