Controversy in India’s Election Commission Over Removal of 130 Million Voter Names

A significant rift has emerged within India’s Election Commission involving Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and two Election Commissioners regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign. It was revealed that a total of 14 formal written objections have been filed concerning the decision-making process of this initiative. Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have declared changes made in Form 6, the centralization under ECInet, the revisions in West Bengal, and the work division orders as unlawful. Following the investigative report, opposition parties have demanded the arrest, resignation, or impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, with some calling for fresh elections.

Since the launch of the Special Intensive Revision campaign in October 2025, over 130 million voters from 30 states and union territories across the country have been removed from the voter list, which has intensified serious differences among the senior officials of the Commission. According to an exclusive investigative report by journalist Ritika Chaudhary for The Indian Express, two members of the three-person Election Commission panel, Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi, have submitted written objections criticizing the decision-making process and working style of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

On April 16, Commissioner Sandhu clearly stated to senior officials that despite extensive media material being released in the Commission’s name, no such material had received official approval from the Commission. He also warned that according to the February 2023 Act, all correspondence and decisions now require the Commission’s full sanction. This incident raises serious questions about the Election Commission’s autonomy and its sensitivity to democratic principles.