Election Commission officials dispute work allocation in India

Two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, filed complaints regarding the conduct of Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg. According to documents obtained via Right to Information (RTI) requests, the commissioners wrote to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somनाथन on July 29, alleging that Garg altered the work allocation and responsibilities of deputy election commissioners and directors without consulting the Commission.

The commissioners expressed concerns that shifting responsibilities—such as managing voter lists and record updates—from state to central levels could centralize power. They argued these actions bypassed the decision-making processes outlined in the Chief Election Commissioner Act, 2023, which emphasizes consensus-based decision-making.

The Cabinet Secretariat declined to take immediate action, opting instead to keep the letters on record. The Secretariat reasoned that because the letters were sent by the commissioners in their individual capacities rather than as formal correspondence from the Election Commission as a whole, intervening would constitute executive interference in an independent constitutional body.