The Indian Express report says Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections over a ten‑month period, alleging that major actions were taken in the name of the full Election Commission without their knowledge.
Both commissioners flagged the centralisation of the Electoral Rolls as a key concern, with Joshi in May proposing an audit to certify that only the statutory authorities could alter the voter database, and Sandhu in August noting that state‑level officials lacked full access to the ERONet portal that maintains the rolls.
Sandhu also accused the Commission’s Director General of IT, Seema Khanna, of exceeding her legal authority by restricting access that law grants to statutory bodies, a claim that underscores tensions over control of the electoral infrastructure.
The two commissioners said Form 6, the registration form for new voters, had been altered to ask whether the applicant or their ancestors "exist" in the previous roll, a change they warned in May would require amendment of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and called the amendment unauthorised and illegal in August.
Additional grievances included Sandhu’s questioning of a West Bengal commission’s authority to file appeals against voters already confirmed by judicial tribunals, and a Goa case where 97 eligible voters were omitted from the final roll because the centrally‑controlled software lacked a mechanism to record local electoral officers’ decisions.
The Election Commission responded that all decisions, including the Special Incremental Roll (SIR), were unanimous and approved by both commissioners and the chief, rejecting the allegations of unilateral action.
Congress MP Manish Tewari, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) spokesperson John Brittas and Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien all condemned the reported conduct, urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance and calling for immediate parliamentary impeachment of the chief commissioner.
The controversy adds pressure to the Election Commission ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections, with opposition leaders warning that any perceived loss of credibility could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.