The Congress has criticised the Election Commission’s latest measures concerning the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing the steps as “damage control” and arguing that several of its concerns remain unresolved.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the measures announced by the poll panel were insufficient to address concerns surrounding voter deletions, the functioning of ECINet and changes made to the online Form 6. His remarks followed the Election Commission’s September 26 statement asserting that decisions related to the SIR had received unanimous approval from all three Election Commissioners.
Congress Questions EC’s Measures on Deleted and At-Risk Voters
Ramesh argued that the proposed steps for voters whose names have been deleted or are at risk of deletion would not adequately address what the Congress describes as large-scale disenfranchisement. The Congress has particularly questioned whether repeated verification and re-enrolment procedures can resolve concerns arising from the ongoing electoral-roll revision.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has maintained that its SIR-related decisions were taken unanimously and has sought to address concerns through additional measures. The competing positions have become part of a wider political and institutional dispute over the electoral-roll revision process.
ECINet and Form 6 Remain Central to the Dispute
One of the major issues raised by the Congress concerns ECINet, the Election Commission’s online platform used for electoral registration and related processes. Ramesh alleged that questions remain over how the system has been used during the SIR and whether decisions taken by Electoral Registration Officers were overridden.
Concerns have also been reported over changes to the online version of Form 6, the statutory application used for new voter enrolment. Earlier reporting by The Indian Express noted that the online form included a new declaration requiring applicants to provide information relating to their parents’ presence in earlier SIR electoral rolls, while the statutory form had not been amended through the usual notification process at that time.
The Election Commission has defended the Form 6 changes by referring to a May 2026 Supreme Court order and has disputed claims of internal disagreement over SIR-related decisions. Reports have also said that two Election Commissioners had raised objections over aspects of the process, an issue that the Commission has sought to clarify.
Political and Institutional Questions Continue
The Congress has also raised questions about transparency in the use of technology and AI-assisted processes during electoral-roll preparation. These claims remain contested, with the Election Commission providing its own explanations regarding the SIR process and decision-making within the poll panel.
The dispute therefore involves both political criticism and questions about the procedures governing voter registration and electoral-roll revision. Further clarification from the Election Commission, courts or other competent authorities could determine how the disputed issues are addressed as the SIR process continues.
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SIR Debate Remains Unresolved
The latest exchange highlights the continuing disagreement between the Congress and the Election Commission over electoral-roll revision, voter enrolment procedures and the use of digital systems. While the Commission says its measures address concerns and that its decisions were unanimous, the Congress maintains that significant questions remain unanswered.