Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O.P. Rawat on Wednesday, 23 September described the reported internal differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over electoral-roll revision as 'very serious' and 'unfortunate', warning that any modification to statutory voter-registration Form 6 without proper authorisation would be 'absolutely wrong and illegal'. His remarks follow a media report alleging that two sitting Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions taken without their knowledge.

The Reported Internal Rift

According to reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months on issues spanning the addition and deletion of voters, changes to Form 6, and the centralisation of control over electoral-roll data. The two commissioners allegedly raised these concerns over decisions and orders issued in the name of the poll panel without their knowledge or concurrence.

Rawat, who served as CEC from January to December 2018, stated that the Election Commission, as a multi-member body, is legally required to arrive at decisions either unanimously or by majority vote. 'A decision by the Election Commission can only be taken either by consensus or by a majority vote, and not otherwise,' he said. He urged all three commissioners to jointly address the media and clarify the matter, adding that dissent on the panel would effectively invalidate a decision: 'If there was dissent, then a decision could not have been taken.'

Concerns Over the SIR Process

Rawat also expressed broader concern about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process itself, which began in Bihar before being extended to other states. He said the exercise had been flawed from the outset and required a thorough review. 'There have been several mistakes in the SIR process from the beginning, starting with Bihar. Gradually, the Election Commission improved the process and tried to make it smoother,' he noted.

Referring specifically to the West Bengal SIR process, Rawat pointed to the reported restoration of a large number of previously excluded voters as evidence of the consequences of errors in electoral-roll revision. He stressed that the Commission must safeguard eligible voters from losing their franchise due to administrative mistakes in the revision process.

Political Response

Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar seized on the controversy to mount a political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government. He alleged that the objections raised by the two commissioners had exposed 'collusion' between Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP government, claiming the country was 'moving towards autocracy.' Singhar demanded that both the Election Commission and the Union government explain who had authorised the disputed decisions and why internal objections were repeatedly overridden.

'The issue is not merely about procedure; it directly concerns the voter's right to vote,' Singhar said. These remarks represent the sharpest direct political intervention in the controversy so far from an opposition leader.

Election Commission's Stand

The Election Commission of India has, however, denied any internal discord, stating that all its decisions — including those related to SIR — were taken unanimously and had the approval of all three Election Commissioners. The Commission's rebuttal stands in sharp contrast to the account presented in the media report that triggered the controversy, leaving the disputed version of events unresolved.

With a former CEC publicly characterising the reported differences as 'very serious,' pressure is likely to mount on the poll panel to provide a more detailed and transparent account of its internal decision-making processes ahead of forthcoming state elections.