'Unanimous approval': Election Commission denies internal rift over SIR, streamlines notice process

The Election Commission on Saturday said key decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had been taken with the "unanimous approval" of all three commissioners, in a statement issued days after reports of differences within the poll panel over the exercise.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi attended the Commission's meeting at Nirvachan Sadan on Saturday, after which the poll panel issued a detailed statement addressing the reported differences as well as announcing changes to the SIR process.

The Commission said a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter of the poll panel or its IT division, but concerned the functioning of an officer on deputation to the ECI.

It also said work redistribution orders issued by the officer concerned were not implemented after the orders of the two Election Commissioners and that oversight of the IT division by the Deputy Election Commissioner was "never actually withdrawn".

The statement came days after The Indian Express reported on September 23 that Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections over several SIR-related decisions and orders, triggering a wider political and legal row over the functioning of the poll panel.

Addressing the SIR itself, the Commission said the order issued on June 24, 2025, covering all states and Union territories, beginning with Bihar and followed by West Bengal and 30 other states and UTs, was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The Supreme Court, it said, upheld the order on May 27, 2026.

The schedules for SIR in 12 states and UTs issued on October 27, 2025, and in 19 states and UTs issued on May 14, 2026, were also issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission, it said.

The Commission said SIR had already been completed in 20 states and UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal. The final number of electors would be known only after the final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase III.

Amid the ongoing SIR, the Commission also changed the procedure for people who have received notices for being "unmapped" or having "logical discrepancies".

Under the new arrangement, booth-level officers will visit the homes of such people to collect documents and upload them on ECINet for consideration by the Electoral Registration Officer. Such people will not have to appear for a hearing before the ERO or AERO in ordinary circumstances.

Only in exceptional cases, as decided by the ERO, will a hearing be held, preferably online. An adult member of the family can also be authorised by the elector to attend the hearing on their behalf if required. The Commission said facilities for online hearings would be strengthened.

District Election Officers have also been directed to create adequate help desks and hold special camps for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people, homeless persons and others, according to local requirements.

The Commission extended the deadline for filing claims and objections in Delhi to October 30, 2026, and the deadline for their disposal to November 30.

In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 12, while disposal of claims and objections has been extended to November 10.

The Commission also announced measures concerning its internal functioning and technology systems.

A committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT will review ECINet to ensure that it complies with the provisions of the relevant Acts and Rules and submit a report to the Commission.

The poll panel said various upgrades to the portal had already been made based on inputs from state Chief Electoral Officers. Any further flexibility required by field officers would be made operational, it said.

"Henceforth, all the new initiatives about IT modules and portals will be discussed in the Committee of Officers (COO) before approval by the Commission," the statement said.

The Commission also decided that agendas for all its meetings would be circulated in advance and minutes would be issued.

It further directed that Annual Performance Appraisal Reports of all officers be completed within the stipulated timeframe of December 31 every year, that Commission approval be obtained for officers' foreign trips and that all directions issued by Commissioners to Commission officers be "meticulously complied with".

The Commission said people whose names were left out during or after SIR, including young and first-time voters, could apply to the concerned ERO for inclusion through continuous updation. Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and EROs have been directed to launch a special drive for enrolment of such electors.

The Commission said the press note was issued on the basis of decisions taken at Saturday's meeting and had the approval of the full Commission.