Election panel denies internal rift

As questions mount over voter rolls and SIR, ECI says internal objections are part of deliberations

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday denied fissures within the poll body after a report in a national daily said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had questioned multiple issues, including deletion of names in various States as part of the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list, integrity of voter software and changes in work allocation, triggering a massive political storm.

The ECI, in a press note published on social media on Wednesday, said “differing views” and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution and all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

“Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution. They are a part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken. Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system,” the press note stated.

“Highlighting certain specific internal notes/observations spread over the period of 10 months while overlooking the much larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives gives only one part of the picture,” it said.

In recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions, issued instructions, introduced around 40 new initiatives and undertaken many electoral reforms including the conduct of Electoral roll revision (including SIR) across the country. All these decisions are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full Commission in the past one year,” it added.

The report on differences in the ECI published in The Indian Express claimed Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected, on record, at least 14 times over the last 10 months — four times on a single day — to decisions taken and orders issued, they say, without their knowledge. Incidentally, Sandhu's name figured among the people with discrepancies in their SIR forms.

In the statement, the poll body also said any operational queries or inputs raised by Commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights and the suggestions given by the Commissioners were for further improving the electoral processes.

“All official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by the Commission carry full legal sanctions and follow established statutory procedures under The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023,” the press statement added.

The ECI further said it is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions and the EC operates as a multi-member constitutional body.