ECI Tells Supreme Court All SIR Orders Were Unanimous

The Election Commission of India has filed a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the commission's decision-making process. The affidavit states that all three orders issued for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026 were unanimous decisions made by the commission's three members.

The commission rejected allegations that Kumar took important decisions without the approval of the other two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. It explained that files normally move from one election commissioner to another and finally to the chief election commissioner, with electronic approvals used for urgent matters and later recorded formally.

“The attempt to make aspersions against the Election Commission is unfortunate.”

The poll panel also refused to disclose information related to the ECINet software, describing it as commercial confidentiality, a trade secret and intellectual property. It added that officers who issue orders beyond their delegated powers may face action.

Regarding Form 6, the statutory application form for inclusion in electoral rolls, the commission said no amendment was made and that the power to change the prescribed form rests with the central government.

The ECI asked the court to dismiss the petitions, calling the allegations misconceived and based entirely on a single newspaper report. The affidavit described attempts to cast aspersions on the commission as unfortunate.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petitions on Tuesday. The petitions were triggered by a September 25 report in The Indian Express claiming that Sandhu and Joshi had objected at least 14 times over 10 months to SIR-related decisions issued without their knowledge or recommendation. Opposition parties protested the report and demanded Kumar's removal.