New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said all decisions related to the schedule of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken with the "unanimous approval of the Commission", and clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was related to the functioning of an officer on deputation and not any policy matter of the poll body.
Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Ashish Goyal, Director General (Media) for the ECI, said that a meeting of the Commission was held on Saturday at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi, where Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were present.
"A meeting of the Election Commission of India was held today, 26 September 2026, at 3:00 PM at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi were present at today’s meeting. The Commission unanimously took several decisions during the meeting. We are sharing details of these decisions through today's ECI press note," Goyal said.
In its press note issued after the meeting, the ECI stated that the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 12 States and Union Territories was issued on October 27, 2025, while the schedule for 19 States and UTs was issued on May 14, 2026, with the unanimous approval of the Commission.
The poll body also added that the order for the SIR issued on June 24, 2025, covering all States and UTs, beginning with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 other States and UTs, was approved unanimously by the Commission.
"In the recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions, including SIR across the country. The order for the SIR issued on 24.6.2025 for all the States/UTs, starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 other States/UTs, was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The same has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India vide its order dated 27.5.2026. The schedule for SIR for 12 States and UTs was issued on 27.10.2025, and those for 19 States/ UTs was issued on 14.05.2026 with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The final figure of the number of electors will be known only after final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase-III."
The Commission also clarified that the letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not connected with any policy matter of the ECI or its IT division but was related to the work of an officer on deputation to the poll body.
"The letter to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to working of an officer on deputation to the ECI. The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two Commissioners, and the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn," the ECI said.
The clarification came amid criticism over a report in The Indian Express, which claimed that decisions regarding the SIR process were objected to by two of the three Election Commissioners. The report stated that Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections multiple times over decisions and orders issued without their knowledge.
The ECI further said that SIR has already been completed in 20 States and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal, while the final number of electors will be available after completion of Phase-III and final publication of electoral rolls in the remaining 12 States and UTs. (ANI)
"SIR order issued with unanimous approval": ECI issues clarification amid political row
