NEW DELHI, Sep 23: Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised several issues, including those related to deletion of names from electoral rolls in various states, during the ongoing voter-list revision exercise, officials said on Wednesday.
However, the officials maintained that all decisions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), including those concerning the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were taken unanimously with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner and both Election Commissioners.
The clarification came in response to a media report that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected to decisions of the poll panel 14 times over the past 10 months during the SIR exercise.
According to officials, the two Election Commissioners had flagged issues concerning deletion of names in different states as well as the handling and management of the voter database.
EC sources said the law governing the functioning of the poll panel and a Supreme Court judgment provide that, as far as possible, decisions should be taken unanimously, while a majority view would prevail in case of differences.
The Indian Express, in a report on Wednesday, said Sandhu and Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over the past 10 months to decisions and orders which, according to them, were taken without their knowledge.
The report said the objections covered issues relating to addition, deletion and restoration of names in electoral rolls, appeals against decisions in the SIR process, and the custody and security of the voter database.
The national rollout of the SIR has been under the supervision of all three Election Commissioners. The Election Commission’s official directory currently lists Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner, with Sandhu and Joshi as the two Election Commissioners.
Opposition parties have criticised the SIR exercise and alleged that it could adversely affect certain sections of voters. These are political allegations and have been disputed by the Election Commission and the government.
