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A very important meeting was held at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi on Saturday amid internal disagreements within the Election Commission of India (ECI), which maintains the democratic structure of the country, and ongoing discussions regarding administrative decisions. Both the Election Commissioners, Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, were notably present in the meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. After the meeting, the Commission has made the situation completely transparent by issuing point-wise and official clarifications on all the disputes related to Special Revision of Voter Lists (SIR) and Technical Division.
The Election Commission in its statement strongly underlined that deep deliberations, arguments, objections and constructive suggestions before taking decisions is a healthy and natural process within any vibrant and mature democratic institution. The Commission made it very clear that all final decisions related to revision of voter lists, technical upgradation and policy reforms have not been taken by any one individual but only with the full consent, discussion and consensus of the three Commissioners. This clarification has refuted all speculations about differences of opinion within the Commission.
During Special Voter Revision (SIR), many questions were being raised at the legal and administrative level regarding the declaration to be attached with Form-6. The Election Commission clarified that the legality and propriety of this manifesto has been declared completely correct and valid by the top court of the country i.e. the Supreme Court. With the aim of adding new voters and preventing fake or double entries, this manifesto is a very important legal document, on which there is no longer any doubt after being approved by the Supreme Court.
Along with this, while giving great relief to the common citizens, the Commission also made it clear that under the vetting process, the persons to whom notices have been issued regarding any discrepancy or verification, there is no need to panic. The Commission has directed that except in extremely exceptional and sensitive cases, there will be no compulsion on the common voters to personally attend the physical hearing at the election offices. The work of verification will be completed at the local level in an easy manner through documentary evidence and digital means so that no citizen is inconvenienced.
There were many discussions going on in the administrative circles regarding the internal functioning of the Commission and a letter written to the Cabinet Secretary. The Election Commission, in a point-wise reply, said that the correspondence sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any broader policy matter of the Commission or the general functioning of the Information Technology (IT) Division. The matter was merely an administrative matter relating to the personal functioning and responsibilities of a specific officer serving in the Commission on deputation.
The Commission officially clarified that the orders issued by the concerned officer regarding division of work were not actually implemented following the directions of the two Commissioners. Moreover, the power of monitoring and review of the IT Division by the Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) was never withdrawn. The Commission stressed that the technical infrastructure, data security and voter portal of the Election Commission are completely secure, transparent and functioning smoothly under the direct supervision of senior officials.
Sharing the progress of the revision work of voter lists, the Election Commission of India said that the intensive work of Special Revision (SIR) has been successfully completed in 20 states and union territories of the country including Bihar, West Bengal. Giving the example of Goa, the Commission said that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) there has given strict instructions to all the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) not to let even a single eligible citizen be left out. Out of 97 left out voters in Goa, 81 citizens have completed the process of getting their names registered by filling Form-6 on the spot and door-to-door contact is going on for the remaining.
The Commission has assured all those citizens and young voters going to vote for the first time whose names have been left out during the special campaign due to some reason. According to the Commission, continuous updation of voter list is an ongoing constitutional process. Any such young or left out voter can submit Form-6 online or offline to their respective Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). For this, CEO at the state level, DEO at the district level and ERO at the assembly level have been ordered to immediately run a special campaign and ensure 100 percent registration of new voters.
Keeping in mind the festive season, administrative commitments and the upcoming election scenario, the Election Commission has significantly extended the last dates for filing claims and objections for two major states – National Capital Territory of Delhi and Maharashtra. Accepting the formal request received from the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, the Commission has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections in Delhi to October 30, 2026. Along with this, the deadline for final disposal of notices, claims and objections received in Delhi has been fixed as November 30, 2026.
Similarly, a revised timetable has also been issued for Maharashtra based on the administrative requirements presented by the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra. Citizens and political parties in Maharashtra will now be able to register their objections and new claims till October 12, 2026. The last date for legal disposal of all these applications and notices received in Maharashtra has been fixed as November 10, 2026. The Commission has given clear instructions to the concerned authorities to give wide publicity to the extended deadline so that every eligible citizen can ensure his/her voter identification in a transparent manner.