In the past ten months, two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objected on record at least 14 times to decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, The Indian Express has reported. These objections included concerns about being kept uninformed, the addition and deletion of voters, and the centralisation of voter database access. The objections were addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and, in some cases, escalated to the Cabinet Secretary.Sandhu and Joshi described several SIR-related steps as "unauthorised and illegal," particularly changes to Form 6 for new voter registration and the centralisation of the electoral roll database. They also raised concerns about the legal authority of the IT Director General to restrict access for statutory officers and highlighted the disenfranchisement of eligible voters in Goa due to software limitations.As reported by The Indian Express, the investigation into the Election Commission's internal functioning revealed that the objections by Sandhu and Joshi were not addressed, leading them to write to the Cabinet Secretary. The SIR process, which began in Bihar in June 2025, resulted in the removal of over 13 crore names from voter rolls across 30 states and union territories, intensifying scrutiny of the Commission's decision-making process.Political reactions intensified after these revelations. Deccan Herald highlighted that opposition parties accused Gyanesh Kumar of running a "one-man autocracy" and demanded his removal. Congress leaders and other opposition figures called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation and impeachment proceedings, citing the alleged exclusion of genuine voters and the undermining of democratic processes."Two Election Commissioners have formally objected 14 times in 10 months. They branded the addition of new voters and mass deletion 'unauthorised and illegal'. They recorded objections to secret deletions, restorations, and form 6 changes that harass young first-time voters — all while being kept in the dark," CPI(M) MP John Brittas stated, as referenced in multiple reports.Coverage revealed that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded the arrest of Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of recent elections, calling for repolling in light of the findings. Kejriwal asserted that Kumar was "running the Election Commission of India on his own," further escalating the political stakes in his public address.Analysis showed that opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, urged Parliament and the Supreme Court to take immediate action. They cited the lack of unanimity in decision-making and the alleged bypassing of statutory procedures as grounds for institutional intervention in their statements.In the middle of the controversy, dissenting commissioners specifically objected to the alteration of Form 6, which required new applicants to declare if they or their relatives existed in the previous SIR roll. This change was implemented despite warnings that it could not be made without amending the relevant rules, and was described as "unauthorised and illegal" by Sandhu and Joshi according to official records."Many communications go out in the name of the ECI but they do not have the approval of the Commission," Sandhu wrote to senior officers, referencing the statutory requirement for unanimous or majority decisions.Further scrutiny indicated that the centralisation of the electoral roll database limited the access of Electoral Registration Officers, undermining the traditional decentralised safeguards. This was a recurring concern raised by both Sandhu and Joshi, who also questioned the legal authority of IT officials to restrict statutory access in their correspondence.At the end of the debate, official sources rejected claims of internal disquiet, stating that all decisions, including those related to SIR, were unanimous and had the approval of all three commissioners. They maintained that the process followed statutory requirements and that objections were addressed within the Commission as clarified by officials.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.