Commissioners Object to Gyanesh Kumar Over Roll Deletions
An internal investigation reveals that two of the three Election Commissioners in India have formally objected at least 14 times to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter roll deletions and database management. The dissenting commissioners claim major decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision were made without their knowledge or consent, causing an unprecedented internal crisis.
Why it matters
Internal dissent within the Election Commission directly threatens public trust in the integrity of India's electoral process and democratic institutions.
The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which began in Bihar in June 2025, an otherwise routine clean-up of the rolls, has struck more than 13 crore names off the draft voter rolls in 30 States and Union Territories. This has put the Election Commission at the centre of intense public debate over its role in deciding who gets to vote - and who doesn’t. An investigation by The Indian Express reveals that questions were raised on these very issues within the three-member Election Commission (EC) itself, time and again through much of this same period. By two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, no less. ◆ why this matters ◆ ◆ 2 out of 3 Election Commissioners complained about being kept in the dark about various steps, including adding new voters, and deleting names.
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