Opposition parties on Wednesday stepped up their criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after a media report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected to decisions of the Election Commission at least 14 times over the past 10 months.
The reported disagreements have emerged amid the nationwide rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Several Opposition leaders have called for Kumar’s removal, citing concerns over the functioning and credibility of the poll panel.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections on record on at least 14 occasions, including four times on a single day, over decisions and orders that they said were taken without their knowledge. The reported concerns related to electoral-roll management, including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and the handling of electoral-roll data.
Congress questions poll panel functioning
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared a screenshot of the report on X. He said Congress colleague Abhishek Singhvi would address the media in detail on what the party described as revelations concerning the Election Commission.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said that if the facts reported were correct, they raised questions about how decisions were being taken within the poll panel. He also questioned whether decisions that were not unanimous or supported by a majority could be considered valid.
Congress MP Mohamed Javed called for greater transparency and said the CEC should disclose disputed decisions, explain who authorised them and respond to the objections recorded by the two Election Commissioners.
CPI(M), TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT leaders react)
CPI(M) MP John Brittas described the reported situation as a “one-man autocracy” under CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He cited the reported 14 objections and alleged that the two Election Commissioners had raised concerns over the addition of new voters, deletion and restoration of names, and changes to voter-registration processes.
Brittas called for Parliament to begin proceedings for Kumar’s removal. He said his party had submitted a notice seeking his removal on April 24, 2026, claiming that it had the required number of supporting members.
He also called for the Supreme Court to intervene in the SIR process, arguing that the reported objections required judicial scrutiny.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also cited the report and demanded action against the CEC.
TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said more than 60 Rajya Sabha MPs had earlier moved a motion seeking Kumar’s removal, with 50 members required for such a motion. He called for the motion to be brought forward again following the latest report.
Reported objections and SIR
The reported differences relate to the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls during the SIR exercise. The Indian Express investigation said Sandhu and Joshi had raised concerns about decisions involving voter registration, deletion and restoration, appeals against voter deletions, and the custody and security of electoral-roll data.
The report also said the two Commissioners had raised concerns over the gradual centralisation of the electoral-roll database in Delhi and changes involving the Commission’s IT infrastructure.
Election Commission says decisions were unanimous
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the SIR decisions were taken without the approval of all three Commissioners.
EC sources said all decisions taken by the poll panel, including those related to the nationwide SIR, were unanimous and had the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as well as Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The clarification came after the report claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions over the past 10 months. According to the reported account, the issues included changes to Form 6, centralisation of ERONet controls in Delhi, appeals involving deleted voters in West Bengal and software-related issues affecting electoral-roll work in Goa.
The Election Commission is a three-member constitutional body comprising the CEC and two Election Commissioners. The reported objections and the poll panel’s response have now become part of the wider political debate over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the electoral authority.