All SIR decisions unanimous, Form 6 not amended: ECI To SC

EC says plea against CEC relies solely on news report; urgent approvals are obtained electronically and recorded later

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that all decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken unanimously by the commission, rejecting allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar acted unilaterally despite objections from the other two Election Commissioners.

In its counter-affidavit, the ECI said the three orders on the revision exercise, dated June 24, 2025, October 27, 2025, and May 14, 2026, were unanimous decisions. The counter-affidavit, filed by Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu, was unanimously approved by CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.


The commission contended that the petition was based on a single newspaper report and that the petitioner had not verified the allegations with the respondents.

It argued that the petition was therefore not maintainable. The ECI also denied having released or authorised the release of any internal note or file to the media.

Internal notes not Commission decisions

EC says notes, queries, suggestions or observations recorded by individual commissioners while a file is being processed do not, by themselves, constitute decisions of the commission.

The ECI said files ordinarily move from one Election Commissioner to the other before reaching the CEC, while urgent approvals may be obtained electronically and formally recorded later. It said decisions are taken unanimously, as far as practicable, or by majority under the 2023 Act.

Addressing a July 28 work-allocation order that figured in the controversy, the ECI said it had been issued by an Additional Secretary on deputation. Both commissioners wrote to the cabinet secretary the following day, it said, adding the order was not implemented after the two commissioners issued a joint direction on July 30.

Form 6 not amended, declaration separate

The ECI denied amending Form 6, the application used by eligible persons to seek inclusion in electoral rolls. It maintained that only the Central Government could amend the form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The declaration introduced for the SIR exercise, the commission said, was a separate document intended to facilitate the mapping of applicants with earlier electoral rolls and did not constitute an amendment to Form 6.