By Jagjagran | 24 September 2026
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing its most serious credibility test in years. What began as a controversy over electoral roll revision has now exploded into something rarer and more damaging: a fight inside the Commission itself.
Here is a clear, balanced breakdown of what is actually happening.
THE BIGGEST STORY: DISSENT INSIDE THE ECI
On 23 September 2026, The Indian Express reported that two of the three Election Commissioners had formally objected — on record — at least 14 times over ten months to decisions taken by the Commission.
The two Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reportedly objected to:
→ Decisions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
→ A new question added to Form 6 (the form new voters use to register)
→ The centralisation of the voter database, which they said reduced the powers of local officials who legally prepare the rolls
Some objections were reportedly escalated to the Cabinet Secretary. According to the report, the two Commissioners called certain steps "unauthorised and illegal."
THE ECI'S RESPONSE
The Commission pushed back. Poll body sources said all decisions were "unanimous and had the approval of both Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner." A press note added that "differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution" and that all orders "carry full legal sanction."
Critics note that the ECI's statement does not actually deny that the 14 objections were made — only that they amount to discord.
THE POLITICAL REACTION
Rahul Gandhi called it treason: "Vote chori is a crime against the Indian people and a direct attack on our constitution."
CPI(M) MP John Brittas said "this is no longer an Election Commission, it is a 'one-man autocracy'" and demanded Parliament begin the CEC's removal. Some opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, demanded fresh elections in West Bengal.
The BJP hit back. Spokesperson Sambit Patra pointed out that the TMC won 13 of the 20 West Bengal seats with the most deletions — which, he argued, undercuts the "vote chori" claim.
The two Commissioners themselves have not spoken publicly.
THE SIR: LEGAL, BUT DISPUTED IN PRACTICE
This is a crucial distinction that often gets lost.
The SIR is legally valid. On 27 May 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the SIR as a legitimate exercise of the ECI's powers, calling it "proportionate" and aimed at the "integrity, accuracy and credibility" of the rolls.
But how it is being carried out is now the battleground.
Across 30 states and union territories, the SIR has removed more than 13 crore names from draft rolls since June 2025. In Phase II alone, rolls in 12 states fell from 50.96 crore to 44.4 crore — a cut of 6.56 crore names.
THE DELHI FLASHPOINT
The sharpest current controversy is in Delhi.
When the draft roll was published on 31 August 2026, about 47.56 lakh of Delhi's 1.45 crore voters — roughly one in three — were missing from it.
On 22 September, the Supreme Court took notice. The bench remarked that notices were going out "almost mechanically" and asked: "Just look whether some additional safeguards are needed." It gave the ECI two weeks to respond.
For Delhi voters, the clock is ticking: claims and objections to get back on the roll must be filed by 30 September, and the final roll is due on 4 November.
THE CEC APPOINTMENT LAW: A SPLIT VERDICT
On 23 September 2026, the Supreme Court split 1:1 on whether to refer a challenge to the CEC appointment law to a larger bench.
The law in question — passed in 2023 — replaced the Chief Justice of India on the panel that selects the Chief Election Commissioner with a Union Cabinet Minister chosen by the Prime Minister. Critics say this hands the government too much control over who runs elections.
Justice Dipankar Datta refused to send it to a larger bench; Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said it raised a substantial question of law. Both asked the Chief Justice to set up a five-judge Constitution Bench. For now, the law stays in force.
WHO IS THE CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER?
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer, became CEC on 19 February 2025 — the first appointed under the new 2023 law. He announced the nationwide SIR in October 2025.
The Opposition tried to remove him through notices in both Houses of Parliament in March 2026 — a first for a sitting CEC — but the presiding officers rejected them in April. Since the dissent report, that demand has returned.
THE 2026 ELECTIONS: ALREADY DECIDED
It's worth remembering the backdrop. The 2026 assembly elections were held and results declared on 4 May 2026:
→ West Bengal: BJP won 207 seats, ending 15 years of TMC rule. Suvendu Adhikari became Chief Minister.
→ Tamil Nadu: Actor Vijay's TVK won 108 seats; he became CM.
→ Kerala: The Congress-led UDF won with 102 seats.
→ Assam: The BJP retained power (82 seats).
→ Puducherry: The NDA held on.
On counting day, Mamata Banerjee alleged "more than 100 seats BJP looted," and Rahul Gandhi echoed the claim. The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer rejected the allegations, saying: "I am a public servant, not a servant of any political party." No court has found evidence of vote theft.
WHAT'S CONFIRMED VS WHAT'S ALLEGED
To keep this honest, here's the clear line:
CONFIRMED:
→ The SIR is legal (Supreme Court, 27 May 2026)
→ Large-scale deletions happened (13+ crore names from draft rolls)
→ 47.56 lakh Delhi voters missing from the draft
→ The dissent report exists, and the ECI has not denied the objections were made
ALLEGED / UNPROVEN:
→ "Vote chori" and elections being "stolen" — political allegations, not proven in any court
→ That the Form 6 change was "illegal" — an opinion, not a court ruling
→ That the ECI and BJP colluded — an allegation
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
→ 30 September: Deadline for Delhi voters to file claims to get back on the roll
→ 6 October: Bypolls including Nandigram; counting on 9 October
→ Early October: ECI's reply to the Supreme Court in the Delhi case
→ The CJI's decision on forming a five-judge bench
→ 4 November: Delhi's final electoral roll
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Election Commission of India is meant to be one of the country's most trusted institutions — the neutral referee of the world's largest democracy. Right now, it is fighting battles on three fronts at once: an internal revolt among its own Commissioners, a courtroom challenge over how it is cleaning the voter rolls, and a constitutional question over how its chief is even appointed.
The SIR itself is legal. That much the Supreme Court has settled. But legality is not the same as trust. And with dissent now reportedly coming from inside the Commission, the real question facing the ECI is no longer just whether its process is lawful — it's whether the country still believes in the referee.
That is a far harder thing to restore than a voter roll.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the ECI controversy about right now?
A: A report that two Election Commissioners objected 14 times to SIR decisions, combined with a Supreme Court notice over 47.56 lakh voters missing from Delhi's draft roll.
Q: Is the SIR (voter roll revision) legal?
A: Yes. The Supreme Court upheld it on 27 May 2026. What's disputed is how it's being implemented.
Q: How many voters were dropped in Delhi?
A: About 47.56 lakh of 1.45 crore — roughly one in three — were missing from the 31 August draft roll. Some may be restored before the 4 November final roll.
Q: Has "vote chori" (vote theft) been proven?
A: No. It remains a political allegation. No court has found evidence of it.
Q: Who is the current Chief Election Commissioner?
A: Gyanesh Kumar, who took charge on 19 February 2025.
Sources: The Indian Express, Business Standard, The Print, The Quint, The Federal, Supreme Court Observer, Bar and Bench, News on Air (PIB), Scroll.in, The Wire, and official ECI statements.
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