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Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-26 15:49 UTC → 2026-09-26 17:09 UTC · added removed

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing intense political scrutiny following reports of internal disagreements regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. An investigation by The Indian Express revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised at least 14 objections over a 10-month period concerning voter registration, deletions, and management systems. Opposition parties, including the Congress and members of the INDIA bloc, have accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of undermining voter rights. These groups continue to challenge unauthorized changes to Form 6, which require applicants to declare if parents or grandparents were included in previous intensive revisions. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi have accused the CEC of ‘match-fixing elections,’ citing allegations that he previously attempted to recruit political candidates while serving as an IAS officer. Members of the INDIA bloc are reportedly coordinating a response and plan to meet on September 30 to discuss the Commission’s conduct and potential legal actions, including a removal motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi have accused the CEC of ‘match-fixing elections,’ citing allegations that he previously attempted to recruit political candidates while serving as an IAS officer. In response, the ECI held a high-level meeting on September 26, 2026, involving the CEC and both Election Commissioners. The Commission asserted that “differences in opinion are a normal part of institutional deliberation” and maintained that SIR decisions were reached with unanimous approval. approval and have been upheld by the Supreme Court. To increase transparency, the ECI announced that meeting agendas and proceedings will be made public and that officials must now seek prior approval for foreign travel. Additionally, a committee including independent experts from IIT or IIIT will review the ECINet technology platform. Procedural reforms to the SIR include extending the deadline for filing claims and objections in Delhi to October 30 and in Maharashtra to October 12. To simplify verification, Booth Level Officers (BLO) will visit homes to collect documents for upload to ECINet, reducing the need for mandatory in-person hearings.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-26 17:09 UTC Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift
  2. 2026-09-26 15:49 UTC Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift
  3. 2026-09-26 15:03 UTC Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift
  4. 2026-09-26 13:45 UTC Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift
  5. 2026-09-26 12:08 UTC Scrutiny of ECI over voter roll revision and internal rift
  6. 2026-09-26 11:25 UTC Controversy over voter registration in India

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