Election Commission denies rift among commissioners over SIR

Political circles had been abuzz with talk of internal differences and divergent views among Election Commissioners over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, known as SIR. On Wednesday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued an official statement rejecting all such claims. The Commission said internal notes, dissenting opinions and technical suggestions are a completely normal part of how it functions and takes decisions.

A newspaper report had claimed that Election Commissioners raised objections 14 times over 10 months. Responding to this, the ECI clarified that all decisions related to SIR were taken with the mutual consent and unanimous agreement of all Election Commissioners.

The Election Commission's official statement offered clarification on eight points.

First, the Election Commission of India is a multi-member constitutional body that functions under Article 324 of the Constitution, legal rules and established institutional conventions. Written notes, comments, technical suggestions and internal deliberations are all part of the Commission's functioning, and these ensure transparency, adherence to law and administrative robustness.

Second, the Commission said all its official orders, decisions and administrative directions fully comply with the legal process laid down under the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, and therefore all these decisions have full legal backing.

Third, questions raised or suggestions given by Commission members at the draft stage are a normal administrative process, and the objective of commissioners' suggestions is only to make the electoral process more transparent and better.

Fourth, it is entirely natural for differing views and comments to emerge before a final decision is reached in any constitutional or administrative body. Not just the three Election Commissioners, but every official of the Commission can offer suggestions to improve the electoral system.

Fifth, focusing only on a few selected internal comments from the last 10 months does not present the full picture of the Commission's broader decisions. The Commission launched around 40 new initiatives over the past year and carried out several electoral reforms, including the nationwide revision of electoral rolls, that is, SIR. All these decisions were taken with the consent of the entire Commission.

Sixth, large-scale elections were recently held successfully in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal, involving extensive administrative and operational arrangements along with numerous approvals and directions from the Commission.

Seventh, the Commission's digital platforms such as ECINet are run under strict data protection rules to prevent any unauthorised access or tampering. IT security checks and audit controls are part of regular cybersecurity measures, and legal officers such as Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and District Election Officers (DEO) exercise their respective powers in voter registration and deletion processes as per the law.

In the eighth and final point, the Commission said the Election Commission of India remains fully committed to discharging its constitutional responsibility with complete integrity and to strengthening the protection of the democratic process.