ECI Internal Rift: Two Election Commissioners Raise 14 Objections in 10 Months
An investigation by The Indian Express has reported repeated disagreements within the three-member Election Commission of India (ECI), with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recording at least 14 objections over a 10-month period concerning decisions and procedures related to electoral rolls.
According to the investigation, the objections covered issues including new voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6, appeals related to electoral-roll decisions and access to the voter database. The report says the two Commissioners alleged that some decisions were taken without their knowledge.
The Election Commission later said the objection notes were part of its decision-making process and maintained that decisions taken during the period were unanimous. It did not dispute the existence, dates or contents of the 14 notes, according to a follow-up report by The Indian Express.
What Are the Objections About?
The reported objections emerged during the nationwide expansion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Indian Express investigation identified four major areas of concern: changes to new-voter registration procedures, access and control of electoral-roll databases, appeals relating to West Bengal voters and software-related issues in Goa.
The report says the national SIR process began in Bihar in June 2025 and was subsequently expanded to other states and Union Territories.
Form 6 Became a Major Point of Disagreement
One of the reported disputes concerns Form 6, the application used by eligible citizens to register as voters.
According to the investigation, the form was modified to ask new applicants whether they or their parents or grandparents appeared on the electoral roll from the previous SIR.
The report says Vivek Joshi had raised concerns in May about changing Form 6 without amending the relevant rules, with Sukhbir Singh Sandhu agreeing with that view.
After the change was reported publicly, Sandhu reportedly recorded on August 13 that the change was “unauthorised and illegal” and sought its removal.
Concerns Over Centralisation of Electoral-Roll Data
Another major issue involved the technology used to maintain electoral rolls.
The ECI has traditionally relied on Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) at the constituency level for preparing and maintaining voter lists. According to The Indian Express, Joshi raised concerns about what he described as the “gradual centralisation” of the electoral-roll database.
He reportedly proposed an audit to establish that only the relevant statutory authorities had credentials allowing changes to voter data.
Sandhu subsequently raised similar concerns, saying state-level election officials had reported problems with complete access to the ERONet system.
Why the IT System Became Important
The dispute over electoral-roll software is significant because digital systems are used to manage voter information across the country.
According to the investigation, the two Commissioners questioned whether changes to access and work allocation within the IT structure could reduce the authority of officials responsible for electoral rolls at the state and constituency levels.
The two Commissioners also wrote separately to the Cabinet Secretary regarding changes to work allocation that they believed affected oversight of the IT infrastructure supporting electoral rolls.
West Bengal Appeals Also Came Under Scrutiny
The investigation also examined the handling of appeals relating to electoral-roll decisions in West Bengal.
The report says Sandhu questioned the authority behind appeals filed against voters whom judicial officers had included in the electoral rolls.
He reportedly asked who had authorised the appeals on behalf of the ECI and who had actually filed them. According to the report, Sandhu said that neither he nor Joshi nor the then Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal had been informed about the basis or process involved.
Supreme Court’s Role in the West Bengal Process
The West Bengal SIR process has also involved judicial oversight.
According to The Indian Express, the Supreme Court had directed that judicial officers examine cases involving voters flagged for certain “logical discrepancies.” The report says the Commission subsequently told the court that millions of appeals were pending before tribunals.
The issue of appeals filed against voters included in the rolls became one of the matters questioned internally by Sandhu.
Goa Software Issue
A separate issue highlighted by the investigation concerns Goa.
The report says Electoral Registration Officers in Goa found 97 voters eligible for inclusion in the final electoral roll after examining documents in cases flagged by the SIR process.
However, according to the report, the software did not initially provide a mechanism for officials to record the reversal of earlier deletions.
The Goa Chief Electoral Officer’s office reportedly wrote repeatedly to officials requesting a rollback facility. The report says the facility was not enabled before the final roll was published, leaving the 97 voters off the final roll.
14 Objections Were Recorded Over 10 Months
According to the investigation, Sandhu and Joshi formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months, including four objections on a single day.
The objections were reportedly copied to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while some were also sent to other senior election officials.
The Election Commission’s current officers directory lists Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as Election Commissioners.
What the Law Says About the Election Commission
The reported disagreement also raises questions about how the three-member constitutional body is expected to conduct its business.
The Indian Express report cites Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
According to the report, the law provides that Commission business should, as far as possible, be conducted unanimously. Where Commissioners differ, the matter is decided according to the majority view.
The same provision also deals with the Commission’s procedure and allocation of work.
Sandhu and Joshi Raised Concerns About Communications
The investigation says both Commissioners also raised concerns about communications being issued in the name of the ECI without the requisite approval of the Commission.
On April 16, Sandhu reportedly told senior officers that communications issued in the name of the ECI should have the Commission’s approval.
Eight days later, Joshi reportedly made a similar point, referring to Article 324 of the Constitution and the 2023 Act.
Election Commission’s Response
A subsequent Indian Express report said the Election Commission did not dispute the existence, dates or contents of the 14 objection notes.
However, the Commission described the notes as “suggestions” and said that decisions taken during the previous year were unanimous.
According to the report, the Commission did not provide detailed answers to some of the specific questions concerning the Form 6 modification, the West Bengal appeals or the period during which the full Commission reportedly did not meet.
This distinction is important: the reported objections are the views recorded by two Commissioners, while the ECI’s response presents a different characterization of their significance and maintains that its decisions were unanimous.
Why the SIR Process Is Under Scrutiny
The Special Intensive Revision has become a major issue because it involves reviewing and updating electoral rolls.
The Indian Express investigation says the nationwide exercise had affected draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories, with more than 13 crore names reportedly struck from draft rolls.
The disputes reported inside the Commission therefore concern procedures directly connected with voter registration, deletion, restoration and management of electoral-roll data.
Key Issues Raised in the Investigation
The major issues reported by The Indian Express include:
- 14 formal objections recorded by two Election Commissioners over 10 months.
- Concerns about decisions allegedly being taken without the knowledge of all Commissioners.
- Disagreement over changes to Form 6.
- Concerns about access to electoral-roll databases.
- Questions about the centralisation of voter-data systems.
- Questions regarding appeals filed in West Bengal.
- Software-related difficulties involving voter restoration in Goa.
- Concerns about communications being issued in the ECI’s name without the requisite approval.
- Questions about the allocation of responsibilities within the Commission’s IT structure.
A Rare Publicly Reported Internal Disagreement
The investigation describes the episode as an unusually significant disagreement within the constitutional body because the recorded objections involve core electoral functions rather than routine administrative matters.
At the same time, the ECI has said that the objection notes formed part of its decision-making process and maintained that its decisions were unanimous.
The reported disagreement therefore involves both the substance of the objections and differing interpretations of how those objections fit into the Commission’s decision-making process.
Current Status
According to The Indian Express, the three Commissioners held a full meeting on September 9, 2026, after the two Commissioners had separately written to the Cabinet Secretary regarding IT-related work allocation.
The newspaper reported that this was the first full meeting of the three-member Commission in four months.
The ECI has also responded publicly to the investigation, characterising the recorded notes as part of its internal decision-making process and maintaining that decisions during the period were unanimous.
Sources
- The Indian Express investigation by Ritika Chopra, published September 23, 2026.
- The Indian Express follow-up on the Election Commission’s response.
- Election Commission of India officers directory.
