LAWYERS QUESTION ECI FUNCTIONING AFTER REPORT OF INTERNAL OBJECTIONS OVER SIR

September 23, 2026

NEW DELHI: A report of repeated objections by two Election Commissioners to decisions taken during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered criticism from senior lawyers and a former bureaucrat, who have questioned the functioning and decision-making process of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded at least 14 objections over 10 months on matters concerning voter additions and deletions, Form 6 and electoral-roll data.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde said the Chief Election Commissioner does not have greater voting authority than the other commissioners and argued that the Commission's decisions must follow the statutory majority process where differences arise. He said that if the required procedure was not followed or commissioners were not consulted, the decisions could potentially face judicial scrutiny.

Former bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar described the reported developments as a serious concern, while senior advocate Colin Gonsalves alleged that the disclosures reflected a deterioration in the functioning of the poll panel. Gonsalves also described the alleged undermining of the electoral process as potentially amounting to “treason”; these are the lawyers' characterisations and do not constitute a judicial finding.

The ECI has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections demonstrate a breakdown within the Commission. It said differing views, written observations and technical suggestions are normal parts of institutional deliberations and maintained that all final decisions, including those relating to SIR, were unanimously approved by the full Commission.