ECI Tells Supreme Court All Three SIR Orders Were Unanimous, Denies Unilateral Decisions
New Delhi, 26th October 2026: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that all three orders concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, issued in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026, were unanimously approved by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and both Election Commissioners.
In a counter affidavit filed on 26th October, the poll body rejected allegations that Kumar had taken decisions unilaterally, arguing that the petitions challenging the Commission’s functioning relied on a single news report. The affidavit was approved by Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Josh.
The Commission also explained its internal file-processing procedures, stating that files ordinarily pass through both Election Commissioners before reaching the CEC. In urgent cases, approvals may be obtained electronically and recorded on the file subsequently. It added that action would be taken against officials issuing directions beyond their delegated authority.
On the internal work-allocation dispute, the ECI said an order issued on 28th July 2026, by an Additional Secretary-rank officer on deputation, was never implemented following a joint direction by the two Election Commissioners on 30th July.
The affidavit also addressed concerns regarding Form 6, used for new voter registrations. The Commission maintained that the statutory form had not been amended and that the additional SIR declaration was a separate document. However, it acknowledged that displaying both together online could create the impression of an amendment. From 21st October, the online application process was separated into two parts.
The affidavit comes amid continuing scrutiny of electoral rolls. In Uttar Pradesh, the state election authorities ordered checks of voter registration, deletion and correction forms after discrepancies emerged in Pilibhit and Azamgarh. In Karnataka, a sharp rise in Form 7 applications seeking objections to voter entries has also drawn attention.
Separately, the Supreme Court on 26th October issued notice to the ECI, the Centre and the Maharashtra government on a petition challenging voter deletions during the state’s SIR exercise. The petitioners’ lawyer claimed that nearly three crore voters had been removed from the rolls. The court listed the matter for 5th November, declining to grant immediate relief before hearing the other side.
The cases place the Commission’s procedures and safeguards against wrongful voter exclusion under continued judicial scrutiny.
