The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday, 5 October 2026, publicly dismissed claims made by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar and the modification of Form 6, stating that the original SIR order had received unanimous Commission approval and has since been upheld by the Supreme Court of India.

What the Commission Said

In a point-by-point clarification issued alongside Gandhi's social media post, the ECI stated: 'The order for SIR in Bihar issued on 24 June 2025 was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. This order has been upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in its judgment dated 27 May 2026.'

The Commission further drew attention to a section of its September 26 Press Note, which read: 'The declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR has been upheld by the Supreme Court. For non-SIR period, the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960) will be used.' The ECI's response was unusually direct, issuing the rebuttal in close proximity to Gandhi's own post.

Gandhi's Allegations

In his social media post, Gandhi alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had altered Form 6 without authorisation. Gandhi wrote: 'It is now established beyond doubt that Gyanesh Kumar changed Form 6 illegally and unilaterally. This is just one more proof of him abusing his position to help the BJP. He and everyone else involved in this criminal assault on our democracy will be held accountable.'

The Congress leader's remarks represent the latest salvo in an ongoing political dispute over the SIR process in Bihar — a process critics argue could affect voter rolls ahead of state elections.

PIB Fact Check Enters the Picture

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), the Centre's nodal information dissemination agency under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, also issued a fact-check on Monday, stating that the ECI had not removed the September 26 press note from its website, as had been claimed. The PIB shared a direct link to the press note on the ECI's official website, refuting claims made on social media by Ashutosh Ranka, who is associated with what the PIB described as the 'Cockroach Janta Party'.

The government advisory urged the public to verify information before sharing it, saying: 'Do not share unverified videos or claims. Check information against credible, independently verifiable sources before accepting or sharing it.'

Background: What the September 26 Note Did

The ECI's September 26 press note — now at the centre of the controversy — had extended SIR deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, addressed allegations of internal friction within the Commission, and revised procedural aspects of the SIR notice process. Notably, the September 26 note also modified certain Form 6 terms specifically for the non-SIR period, distinguishing it from the SIR-specific declaration that the Supreme Court had already upheld.

This is the latest in a series of confrontations between the opposition and the ECI over the Bihar SIR process, with each side contesting the procedural legitimacy of the other's position. The Supreme Court's May 2026 ruling remains the central legal benchmark in this dispute — and the Commission is leaning heavily on it. How the political battle over Bihar's voter rolls evolves ahead of the state's next electoral cycle will be closely watched.