Gyanesh Kumar CEC controversy explained: What's the report that has rocked ECI, what Congress and BJP saying, and Election Commission’s clarification

A report on alleged internal differences within the Election Commission of India has triggered a fresh political controversy involving Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. An investigative report published by The Indian Express on September 23 has reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period to decisions and orders concerning electoral rolls. The report said the objections covered voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and the handling of electoral-roll data.

Also Read: Election Commission pushes back on dissent reports, says all SIR decisions were unanimous

The controversy has become a political flashpoint, with Congress and other Opposition parties demanding action against Gyanesh Kumar, while the central issue remains whether the reported internal objections amounted to substantive dissent over decisions of the Commission.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar Controvery: What did the investigation report say?

The investigation report said Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections on several matters linked to the management of electoral rolls. According to the report, the two commissioners objected at least 14 times in 10 months. Four of the objections were reportedly made on the same day.

The issues included the addition of new voters, deletion and restoration of names, appeals against electoral-roll decisions and the management and security of voter data. The report also said the commissioners raised concerns about the centralisation of access to electoral-roll databases.

One of the most prominent issues concerned Form 6, the application used by citizens seeking registration as voters. The report said a new question was added to the form on the ECI's ECINet portal, asking new applicants whether their own name or that of a parent or grandparent appeared in an electoral roll from the previous SIR exercise. The report quoted Sandhu as describing the change as "unauthorised and illegal" and calling for its removal.

The investigation also reported concerns about the centralisation of electoral-roll software and the handling of voter data. It said Sandhu and Joshi wrote separately to the Cabinet Secretary over changes in work allocation that they believed reduced a layer of oversight of the information-technology system supporting electoral rolls.

What does the 2023 law say about ECI decisions?

The controversy has also brought attention to the law governing the functioning of the Election Commission. The Indian Express report cited Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The provision says the business of the Commission should, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously. Where the commissioners differ, the matter is to be decided according to the majority view.

This provision is central to the current debate because the report describes repeated objections by two commissioners, while the ECI says those internal observations were part of the deliberative process and did not alter the unanimity of the final decisions.

Why Gyanesh Kumar is at the centre of this controversy?

Gyanesh Kumar is at the centre of the controversy because he is the Chief Election Commissioner and heads the three-member poll panel. Opposition parties have used the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi to question the way the Commission functioned during the SIR exercise. Some have demanded Kumar's removal and an independent probe.

At its core, there are two competing accounts of what happened inside the Election Commission. The investigation portrays the objections as evidence of sustained concerns raised by two members of the three-member panel over important electoral-roll decisions, including voter registration, deletions, Form 6 and the management of voter data.

The Election Commission's response does not deny that questions and observations were raised. Instead, it says such exchanges are normal during deliberations and that the final decisions were approved unanimously by all three commissioners.

That distinction is important. A written objection during an internal discussion is not, by itself, proof that a final ECI decision was taken without the approval of the Commission.

The political dispute now centres on whether the reported objections reveal a deeper institutional disagreement or were part of the normal process through which the Commission examines and finalises decisions.

Why is SIR at the centre of the controversy?

The dispute is linked to the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The exercise began in Bihar in June 2025 and was subsequently expanded to other states and Union territories. The Indian Express investigation said more than 13 crore names had been struck off draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories at the time of its report.

The purpose of an electoral-roll revision is to verify voter records and identify entries that may need correction, deletion or addition. However, the scale and manner of the exercise have triggered political and legal scrutiny. The investigation reported that the objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi dealt with some of the same processes that determine how voters are added to or removed from electoral rolls.

This is why the reported internal notes have become politically significant. The controversy is not simply about differences between officials; it concerns how decisions affecting electoral rolls were discussed, authorised and implemented.

Why Congress is alleging?

Congress leaders has criticised the Election Commission following the report. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP, RSS and Election Commission of involvement in what he called "vote chori" and described the alleged electoral irregularities as an attack on the Constitution.

Congress has also demanded Gyanesh Kumar's removal and called for an independent investigation into the issues raised in the report. Other Opposition leaders, including those from the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and AAP also questioned the functioning of the poll panel and sought investigations or action.

The Opposition's argument centres on the reported written objections. Leaders have questioned how decisions could be described as unanimous if two commissioners had formally raised concerns about specific actions during the process.

What is the BJP saying?

The political controversy has also drawn the BJP into the debate because Congress and other Opposition parties have linked the SIR exercise to allegations of electoral manipulation.

BJP has rejected the suggestion that individual objections during deliberations mean that its final decisions lacked the approval of all three commissioners. In a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that discussions and objections are part of democratic process. He also highlighted that several election commissioners were appointed by the earlier Congress governments who later become party cancidates in election or got plum post after retirement. BJP alleged the former CEC Naveen Kumar was appointed by the then Congress government. Congress won the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

What has the Election Commission clarified?

The Election Commission said differing views are a normal part of institutional deliberation. In its detailed response, the ECI said internal notes, observations and technical suggestions are part of the checks and balances within a multi-member constitutional body. It maintained that all official orders and administrative directions followed the applicable statutory procedures.

The Commission also said that highlighting selected internal notes from a 10-month period without considering the larger body of decisions and approvals presents only one part of the picture.

According to the ECI, it took numerous decisions and introduced around 40 initiatives and electoral reforms during the period. It said these decisions, including the nationwide electoral-roll revision and SIR, were unanimously approved by the full Commission.

The poll panel also defended its digital systems, saying platforms such as ECINet operate with data-security protocols, IT checks and audit controls. It said Electoral Registration Officers and District Election Officers continue to exercise their statutory powers relating to voter registration and deletion.