'Differing views normal part of deliberation': EC amid row

The Election Commission stated that differing views among its Commissioners are a normal part of institutional deliberation and decision-making.

All official orders and decisions issued by the EC carry full legal sanctions and adhere to established statutory procedures.

Reports indicated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised concerns over issues, including name deletions, during the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists.

The EC clarified that operational queries or inputs raised during draft stages are standard administrative practice to safeguard voter rights.

The Commission maintains that all recent major decisions and electoral reforms, including the SIR, have been the outcome of unanimous decisions by the full Commission.

 

Under fire over red flags raised by two of its Commissioners over the SIR process, the Election Commission on Wednesday asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution and all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

In a statement, the EC also said that not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system.

EC's Stance on Internal Deliberations

The EC said any operational queries or inputs raised by Commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights and the suggestions given by the Commissioners were for further improving the electoral processes.

The poll body's statement came after news reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had red flagged multiple issues, including deletion of names, in various states during the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list, triggering a massive political storm.

"All official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by the Commission carry full legal sanctions and follow established statutory procedures under The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

"Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution. They are a part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken. Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system," the statement said.

Addressing Media Reports and Operational Rigour

The newspaper also reported that the national rollout of the SIR has been under the supervision of all three Commissioners but Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected, on record, at least 14 times over the last 10 months - four times on a single day - to decisions taken and orders issued, they say, without their knowledge.

The EC said highlighting certain specific internal notes or observations spread over the period of 10 months while overlooking the much larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives give only one part of the picture.

The EC said it is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions and the EC operates as a multi-member constitutional body.

It said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour and all actions of the EC have been in accordance of laws and instructions of the Commission.

Recent Electoral Reforms and Future Commitments

In recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions, issued instructions, introduced around 40 new initiatives and undertaken many electoral reforms including the conduct of Electoral roll revision (including SIR) across the country.

"All these decisions are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full Commission in the past one year," the statement said.

The Commission has recently successfully conducted major elections of Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal and election-related exercises during this period. This work involved wide-ranging administrative and operational machinery and many Commission approvals and instructions, it said.

The Commission's digital platforms, such as ECINet, operate under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorised tampering, manipulation, etc. IT security checks and audit controls are standard cybersecurity measures implemented across national databases. Statutory authorities, including Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs), function as per statutory powers for registration and deletion under law.

"The Election Commission of India remains fully committed to executing its constitutional duties with complete integrity, recognizing its vital role in advancing our democracy," the statement said.