ECI Rejects Rift Claims, Says Decisions Unanimous

New Delhi, Sep 23: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday rejected reports of an internal rift, saying that written objections and differing views among Election Commissioners are part of normal institutional deliberations.

The statement came after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months on issues including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, Form 6 and electoral-roll data management.

The ECI said all decisions taken by the Commission during the past year, including those related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), were unanimous. It said internal notes and observations are part of checks and balances and do not indicate a breakdown in collective functioning.

The Commission also defended its digital systems, saying platforms such as ECINet and ERONet operate under strict security protocols, while statutory officers continue to exercise their legal powers over electoral rolls.

The reported objections have triggered renewed political debate over transparency, electoral-roll management and the SIR exercise. Opposition parties have demanded greater accountability, while the ECI maintained that it remains committed to discharging its constitutional duties with integrity.