Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday (Sep 26), amid questions over internal differences within the poll panel and the functioning of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.The meeting, held at 3 pm, was followed by a detailed press note in which the Election Commission addressed several issues, including reports of dissent, the SIR process, Form 6, ECINET and a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary.The clarification came after a report by The Indian Express claimed Sandhu and Joshi had objected multiple times to decisions taken by the Commission. The ECI, however, said the SIR order issued on June 24, 2025, covering all states and Union Territories, had the “unanimous approval of the Commission”.The Commission said the schedules for 12 states and UTs issued on October 27, 2025, and for another 19 states and UTs issued on May 14, 2026, were also approved unanimously.<h2>EC explains Cabinet Secretary letter</h2>The poll panel also sought to clarify the controversy surrounding its communication to the Cabinet Secretary. It said the letter was “not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to working of an officer on deputation to the ECI”“The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two Commissioners, and the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn,” the ECI added in its press note.<h2>New process for SIR-flagged voters</h2>The Commission said Booth Level Officers will visit voters flagged as “unmapped” or having logical discrepancies to collect documents and upload them on ECINET.Such voters “need not be called for hearing to ERO/AERO office”. Hearings will be held only in exceptional cases and preferably online. An adult family member can also attend on behalf of the elector.The ECI directed officials to organise help desks and special camps for labourers, homeless people, poor citizens and those living in night shelters.<h2>ECINET to undergo review</h2>The Commission has also formed a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, with an independent IIT or IIIT expert, to review ECINET's compliance with electoral laws.Meanwhile, SIR claims and objections deadlines were extended in Delhi and Maharashtra. Delhi's filing deadline is now October 30, while Maharashtra’s is October 12.The ECI said SIR has been completed in 20 states and UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal. The final elector count will be known after the remaining Phase III states complete the process.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar-led Election Commission meeting addresses SIR dissent reports, clarifies unanimous approvals, eases voter hearings, orders ECINET review and extends claims deadlines.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday (Sep 26), amid questions over internal differences within the poll panel and the functioning of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The meeting, held at 3 pm, was followed by a detailed press note in which the Election Commission addressed several issues, including reports of dissent, the SIR process, Form 6, ECINET and a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary. The clarification came after a report by The Indian Express claimed Sandhu and Joshi had objected multiple times to decisions taken by the Commission. The ECI, however, said the SIR order issued on June 24, 2025, covering all states and Union Territories, had the “unanimous approval of the Commission”. The Commission said the schedules for 12 states and UTs issued on October 27, 2025, and for another 19 states and UTs issued on May 14, 2026, were also approved unanimously. EC explains Cabinet Secretary letter The poll panel also sought to clarify the controversy surrounding its communication to the Cabinet Secretary. It said the letter was “not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to working of an officer on deputation to the ECI” “The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two Commissioners, and the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn,” the ECI added in its press note. New process for SIR-flagged voters The Commission said Booth Level Officers will visit voters flagged as “unmapped” or having logical discrepancies to collect documents and upload them on ECINET. Such voters “need not be called for hearing to ERO/AERO office”. Hearings will be held only in exceptional cases and preferably online. An adult family member can also attend on behalf of the elector. The ECI directed officials to organise help desks and special camps for labourers, homeless people, poor citizens and those living in night shelters. ECINET to undergo review The Commission has also formed a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, with an independent IIT or IIIT expert, to review ECINET's compliance with electoral laws. Meanwhile, SIR claims and objections deadlines were extended in Delhi and Maharashtra. Delhi's filing deadline is now October 30, while Maharashtra’s is October 12. The ECI said SIR has been completed in 20 states and UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal. The final elector count will be known after the remaining Phase III states complete the process.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar-led Election Commission meeting addresses SIR dissent reports, clarifies unanimous approvals, eases voter hearings, orders ECINET review and extends claims deadlines.

SIR row: Gyanesh Kumar-led ECI clarifies dissent claims, says key decisions approved unanimously

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (September 24) launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Narendra Modi government over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).&nbsp;Gandhi demanded that Gyanesh Kumar resign immediately and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were the “main conspirators”. He also called for an investigation against them.&nbsp;Addressing a press conference on the functioning of the ECI following media reports related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Gandhi said the issue was not limited to the vote.“The thing to understand here is that if the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed,” Gandhi said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi: Reacting to Indian Express report on 2 ECs objecting to discrepancies in SIR process, LoP Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, &quot;The first thing we are saying is Mr. Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately. I would add to Mr. Gyanesh Kumar: You are a highly educated person.… <a href="https://t.co/hCACV3lYT7">pic.twitter.com/hCACV3lYT7</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://x.com/ANI/status/2103103814694031392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He added that the Constitution would no longer have its power or function if the vote was destroyed.“If our Constitution has been destroyed, our laws are illegal,” he said. “And if our laws are illegal, our institutions are meaningless.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-consider-trump-s-g20-invitation-to-putin-eu-vows-to-keep-condemning-moscow-1790249580564">Russia will ‘consider’ Trump’s G20 invitation to Putin; EU vows to keep condemning Moscow</a>&nbsp;The development comes amid a growing row over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), following fresh allegations and political exchanges over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.&nbsp;The Indian Express reported that the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) wrote to authorities in Delhi eight times in seven days seeking access to certain facilities but received no response.&nbsp;The report came after an earlier media report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who work with the CEC, raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders linked to the SIR process.<h2>Rahul Gandhi questions anti-incumbency</h2>Gandhi also questioned what he described as the disappearance of anti-incumbency in several states.“Haryana swings from one party to another for 50 years. Suddenly anti-incumbency disappears,” he said.&nbsp;He then cited Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, saying that anti-incumbency had also “disappeared” in these states.&nbsp;“We can understand the popularity of a person, and the performance of a government, but we cannot understand how anti-incumbency disappears,” Gandhi said.&nbsp;The Congress leader further compared the absence of anti-incumbency with countries he cited as examples of non-democratic systems.“Anti-incumbency does not exist in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. It does not exist in North Korea,” he said, adding, “There is no democracy on this planet where anti-incumbency does not exist.”&nbsp;Gandhi said the vote, protected by the Election Commission, was directly connected to the functioning of the Constitution, laws, and institutions.&nbsp;"From the vote, which is supposed to be protected by the Election Commission, our Constitution gets its power. From the Constitution, our laws are made, and from our laws emerge our institutions. This is a chain... If the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed... If our Constitution has been destroyed, our laws are illegal. If our laws are illegal, our institutions are meaningless," he said.

Rahul Gandhi questioned the disappearance of anti-incumbency in several states, alleged “vote chori” and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (September 24) launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Narendra Modi government over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Gandhi demanded that Gyanesh Kumar resign immediately and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were the “main conspirators”. He also called for an investigation against them. Addressing a press conference on the functioning of the ECI following media reports related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Gandhi said the issue was not limited to the vote. “The thing to understand here is that if the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed,” Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi questioned the disappearance of anti-incumbency in several states, alleged “vote chori” and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

‘How does anti-incumbency disappear?’: Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘vote chori’, calls for CEC’s resignation

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SIR row: Gyanesh Kumar-led ECI clarifies dissent claims, says key decisions approved unanimously

Where did anti-incumbency go? Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘vote chori’, seeks CEC exit