Acted ‘unanimously’ on electoral roll revision orders: Election Commission tells Supreme Court

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday and submitted a joint affidavit asserting that the trio had unanimously approved the scheduling of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across states and Union Territories. The affidavit was submitted as the Court prepares to hear petitions concerning the functioning of the Election Commission of India after a September 23 report by The Indian Express.

The document details a series of internal administrative actions: an Office Order dated 23 September 2025 set the earlier work‑allocation framework; a new Office Order issued on 28 July 2026 by an IAS officer of Additional Secretary rank was subsequently challenged. On 29 July 2026, the two Election Commissioners each wrote separate letters to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan questioning the order and the officer’s conduct, and a joint direction dated 30 July 2026 halted its implementation. The affidavit also refutes claims that Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, was altered by SIR orders dated 24 June 2025, 27 October 2025 and 14 May 2026.

The filing follows the Indian Express investigation that raised concerns about internal governance within the Election Commission. By confirming the unanimous decision and the suspension of the July 2026 work‑allocation order, the Commission seeks to reassure stakeholders—including voters, political parties, and election officials—about the integrity of the electoral roll revision process ahead of upcoming elections. The outcome of the Supreme Court hearing could have broader implications for the Commission’s administrative autonomy and public confidence in India’s electoral system.