ECI Drops Additional SIR Declaration From Form 6 in States Where Exercise Is Complete Amid Protests Against CEC

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has withdrawn an additional Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related declaration from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in states where the SIR exercise has already been completed days after the full Commission decided the requirement should apply only during an active SIR exercise. The decision comes amid mounting protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar's unilateral decisions allegedly made to help BJP in the state, central elections.

The declaration, which required new applicants to disclose whether they or their parents or grandparents had been listed in electoral rolls from a previous SIR, has now been removed from the ECINET app, the Commission's portal, and the respective Chief Electoral Officer portals in states where the revision has concluded. Applicants seeking enrolment in those states will now need to fill only the statutory Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The move follows a September 26 meeting of the full Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, at which it was decided that the SIR-specific declaration would apply only during the revision period, with standard forms to be used otherwise.

The change comes after commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had separately objected to the inclusion of the declaration in the online form, with Sandhu describing the move as "unauthorised" and calling for its removal. Reports had also noted that the two commissioners had raised objections multiple times over the past year to SIR-related decisions they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

Following the emergence of the new information, left parties and the opposition parties has protested against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Left parties, especially CPI(M) had alleged that Gyanesh Kumar has been acting as "BJP agent" by unilaterally taking decisions involving SIR and voter's removals to help pave way for BJP.

Meanwhile, INDIA bloc is meeting today in Delhi to discuss further actions against CEC, who mocked the independence and freedom of the Election commission while undermining the institution.