Election Commission’s Clear Response To Questions Raised About The SIR Process

The Election Commission issued a statement clarifying its position regarding media reports about differences of opinion among the Election Commissioners concerning the SIR process; it stated that they have been unanimous from the very beginning regarding all decisions related to the ‘Special Summary Revision’ (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.

The Election Commission asserted that all decisions including those related to SIR (delimitation and ward reorganization) were taken unanimously with the consent of both Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner. However, published reports indicate that both Election Commissioners had raised objections during the SIR process.

They raised these objections 14 times over a period of approximately 10 months. It is noteworthy that all key decisions of the Election Commission are taken collectively by a panel comprising the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

The two Election Commissioners who raised objections were Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. In response to queries, officials stated that while managing the voter database, both commissioners had drawn attention to decisions regarding the deletion of names in various states. Officials noted that the laws governing the Election Commission’s functioning and Supreme Court rulings emphasize that decisions should ideally be taken unanimously.