THE Election Commission on Monday defended its decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the Supreme Court, saying the exercise was undertaken in accordance with the law and the three orders on its roll-out were approved unanimously by the Commission’s three members. The law and prescribed Form 6 for voter registration were not amended, the poll panel said in its response to pleas alleging that the Election Commission (EC) took several decisions without the approval of the two election commissioners, including “changes” in Form 6 which is used for enrolling in the voter list. The EC said its counter-affidavit filed in the apex court is unanimously approved by CECGyanesh Kumar and two Election Commissioners. The poll panel said the SIRorders issued on June 24, 2025, October 27, 2025, and May 14, 2026, were approved unanimously by the Commission’s three members, the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The poll panel said that the CEC cannot be retrained from functioning as newspaper reports are not considered as evidence in the eyes of law.

 

Earlier on October 5, the top court said it will examine all decisions of the EC and annul those found not to be in accordance with law, as it issued notices to the Centre and the poll body. The pleas were filed after ‘Indian Express’ reported on September 25 that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders on SIR of electoral rolls that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation. The claim has sparked protests by Opposition parties and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding removal of CEC Kumar. In its counter-affidavit, the Commission said the SIR exercise was undertaken in the discharge of its constitutional mandate under Article 324 of the Constitution, read with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the applicable rules. Rejecting the contention that Form 6 had been amended through the SIR orders, the EC said the declaration prescribed for the exercise was a separate document and not part of the statutory form for inclusion in the electoral roll.