From left: CEC Gyanesh Kumar, EC Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have formally recorded at least 14 objections over the past 10 months against decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, according to an Indian Express investigation, pointing to an unprecedented rift inside the top ranks of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI, however, has dismissed the reports, saying differing views among Commission members are “a normal part” of institutional decision-making.
According to the IE report, the two commissioners said several major decisions, including changes to voter registration forms and additions and deletions from electoral rolls, were carried out without their knowledge or approval, and described some of these moves as “unauthorised and illegal.”
The friction centres largely on the rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has affected roughly 13 crore voter names nationwide, as well as concerns over what the dissenting commissioners called the “gradual centralisation” of electoral roll software systems, including ECINet and ERONet.
A key flashpoint involves Form 6, the mandatory application used by new voters to register. Sandhu and Joshi reportedly pointed out that Form 6 is embedded in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and cannot be altered without a formal government notification. Despite objections the two commissioners raised in May, an amended version of the form, asking applicants whether their parents or grandparents featured in past revision rolls, went live on the Commission’s digital portal, the Indian Express reported.
Sandhu subsequently wrote to senior officials seeking immediate withdrawal of the change, warning it risked disenfranchising first-time voters.
The report listed several other issues the two commissioners flagged:
The dispute escalated after a work allocation order stripped away existing oversight layers governing the Commission’s IT division. Sandhu and Joshi separately wrote to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan, calling the order a violation of the law governing the ECI and seeking corrective action, a step the report described as without precedent in the Commission’s history.
The Election (Conduct of Elections) Rules require that Commission business be conducted with transparency and the agreement of all three members. The Indian Express said neither the Commission nor Sandhu and Joshi responded to its questions before publication.
The ECI in its statement said that differing views raised during deliberations are “a normal part” of institutional decision-making and do not amount to a breakdown in consensus. It said all its orders, decisions and administrative directions carry full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
The Commission said queries or suggestions raised by Commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights, and that inputs from Sandhu and Joshi were meant to further improve the electoral process. It added that every officer of the Commission, not just the three Commissioners, is authorised to give suggestions for improving the electoral system.
Responding to the reported 14 objections spread over 10 months, the ECI said this gives “only one part of the picture,” pointing to a much larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives, around 40 new initiatives introduced in recent months, including SIR conducted across the country, all of which it said were outcomes of unanimous decisions by the full Commission over the past year. It also cited its recent conduct of elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal.
On concerns over centralisation of its digital platforms, the Commission said systems such as ECINet operate under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation, and that IT security checks and audit controls are standard cybersecurity measures implemented across national databases. It added that statutory authorities, including EROs and District Election Officers (DEOs), continue to function as per their statutory powers for registration and deletion under law.
“The Election Commission of India remains fully committed to executing its constitutional duties with complete integrity, recognising its vital role in advancing our democracy,” the note, signed by Deputy Director P Pawan, said.
This post was last modified on September 23, 2026 3:26 pm