The Election Commission of India has rejected reports suggesting an internal disagreement among its members over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to Election Commission sources, decisions related to SIR and other matters were taken unanimously with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner and both Election Commissioners.
The clarification came after a media report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions regarding decisions and orders associated with the electoral-roll revision process.
The reported concerns included voter deletions and restorations, new elector additions, electoral-roll appeals and aspects of voter-data management.
The Election Commission maintained that while commissioners may raise concerns during the decision-making process, such discussions do not necessarily mean that the final decisions of the constitutional body were divided. Officials reiterated that the Commission’s decisions, including those connected with SIR, had received the required approval.
The Special Intensive Revision has become a significant issue in discussions surrounding electoral rolls, with attention focused on the verification and updating of voter information.
The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to update electoral rolls and identify ineligible or duplicate entries.
The latest clarification places the focus on the Election Commission’s official position that its final decisions have been taken collectively.
Meanwhile, reports about objections raised by individual commissioners have added to public discussion about the functioning and decision-making process of the poll panel.