New Delhi: “Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution”, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Wednesday amid reports of differences between the commissioners on the process followed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Such “differing” views form part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken, the ECI said.
It was reported by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to decisions and orders related to the SIR process.
Opposition parties have latched on to the report and demanded the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances are standard practices within the Commission, which functions as a multi-member constitutional body, the ECI has said.
These processes are intended to ensure transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour, it said.
“Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution. They are a part of the decision-making process before a final decision is taken,” the Commission said.
The right to provide suggestions is not restricted to the three Election Commissioners, it further said.
“Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system,” it said.
Such suggestions were aimed at further improving electoral processes and safeguarding voter rights, the ECI said, stressing that all official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by it carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
“The ECI is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions,” the Commission said, as reported by News18.
Officials maintained that decisions related to the pan-India SIR were unanimous and had the approval of both Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner.
The law governing the functioning of the Commission and a Supreme Court judgment underline that, as far as possible, decisions should be taken unanimously, while the majority view should prevail if necessary, they said.
In its statement, the ECI also objected to the focus on selected internal notes and observations.
Highlighting “certain specific internal notes/observations spread over the period of 10 months” while overlooking the larger body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives presents only one part of the picture, it said.
It had taken numerous decisions and issued instructions in recent months, besides introducing around 40 new initiatives and undertaking electoral reforms, including electoral roll revision and SIR across the country, the ECI said.
It said all these decisions were the outcome of unanimous decisions of the full Commission over the past year.
Pointing to its recent election-related work, the commission said it had successfully conducted major elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal, along with other election-related exercises during the period.
According to the ECI, this involved wide-ranging administrative and operational machinery as well as multiple Commission approvals and instructions.
The poll panel also addressed concerns related to its digital platforms, including ECINet.
It said these platforms operate under strict data-security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised tampering and manipulation.
IT security checks and audit controls are standard cybersecurity measures used across national databases, the poll body said.
“The Election Commission of India remains fully committed to executing its constitutional duties with complete integrity, recognising its vital role in advancing our democracy,” the ECI said.