New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has filed a formal affidavit in the Supreme Court, strongly refuting allegations that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar made unilateral decisions regarding the electoral process.
Responding to a cluster of petitions filed by 13 opposition leaders—including Rahul Gandhi and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi—along with social activists, the poll panel dismissed the claims as being primarily based on media reports. The ECI explicitly stated that all directives related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter lists were approved unanimously by the CEC and the two Election Commissioners.
The commission clarified its internal functioning, explaining that files routinely pass from one Election Commissioner to the other before reaching the CEC. A query or notation made by any commissioner on a file, the panel asserted, cannot be construed as the final decision of the Election Commission.
Addressing widespread concerns regarding alleged modifications to voter registration, the ECI maintained that no changes have been made to Form 6, noting that only the Central Government possesses the statutory authority to amend it. Acknowledging that the online interface may have caused some confusion, the commission stated that starting October 21, the digital Form 6 has been segregated from the SIR declaration to exactly mirror the physical document.
To ease the verification process, the ECI assured that voters whose old records remain unmapped will not routinely be summoned for hearings. Instead, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door visits to collect required documentation, with online hearings reserved only for exceptional circumstances.
Crucially, the affidavit strongly opposed the petitioners’ demands to temporarily restrain the CEC from discharging his official duties. The ECI reminded the court that removing a Chief Election Commissioner requires a strict constitutional process equivalent to the impeachment of a Supreme Court judge, making the demand to sideline him legally untenable.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana is scheduled to hear the petitions on Tuesday, October 27. Noting the recent festive holidays, the Election Commission has submitted this brief reply and requested the court’s permission to file a more detailed, comprehensive response in the coming days.