CEC Gyanesh Kumar sat with both the Election Commissioners and put an end to the speculation of differences, took 7 big decisions.
Neelu Ranjan, New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vineet Joshi held a meeting of the full Election Commission to put an end to speculation about differences between the three over the process of SIR.
In the midst of the political turmoil going on for three days, the three Election Commissioners sat together in the Commission at three o’clock on Saturday and took important decisions to remove the misconceptions about the process of SIR as well as to remove the problems of the common people.
In the first full Election Commission meeting since the controversy erupted, a total of nine decisions were taken, five directly related to removing the problems faced by the voters in the ongoing SIR process. The four decisions pertain to the inner workings of the Election Commission and to bring more transparency in them. Apart from these, the confusion spread on three points is related to clearing.
The three Election Commissioners made it clear that from conducting the SIR in Bihar on June 24, 2025, the decision to conduct the SIR in 30 other states and union territories, including West Bengal, was taken unanimously. Later, on May 25, 2027, the Supreme Court approved these decisions. According to the three Election Commissioners, the final number of voters will be released after the completion of the ongoing process in 12 states after the SIR.
According to the three Election Commissioners, the letter written by the two Election Commissioners to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to the Commission’s IT division or policy matters as is being circulated. Rather, it belonged to an officer on deputation. After the objection of the two Election Commissioners, the decision of the said officer was not implemented and also the authority of the District Election Officer over the IT Division was never withdrawn.
The three Election Commissioners also discussed the uploading of 97 voters of Goa in the Form-VI list and informed that instructions have been given to the CTO of Goa in this regard, including door-to-door collection of forms of voters and inclusion in the list. Out of these, the names of 81 voters have been included in the voter list.
The situation is also clear on the form of new voters.
The three Election Commissioners also allayed the apprehension that a large number of young voters would not be included in the electoral rolls due to the release of manifestos along with Form VI for new voters. According to him, this arrangement is temporary, which was done only for SIR. The Supreme Court upheld this.
New voters who will be formed after the completion of the process of SIR will not have to give this declaration. In the manifesto, new voters had to give the name of their parents to be included in the electoral roll during the old SIR.
Other important decisions
– Voters given notice due to rational discrepancies will not be called for a hearing from the ERO and AERO.
– Instead, the BLO will go to their home and collect the documents and upload them on ECINet.
– Only in special cases will they be called for online hearings, in which their next of kin can also participate in their place.
The District Election Officer will make arrangements to set up a sufficient number of help desks and special camps for night resting places, laborers, poor, homeless.
A committee headed by the Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, which will also include independent experts from IITs or IIITs, will be formed to monitor the functioning of ECINET in accordance with the rules and regulations.
The Delhi CEO has been given time till October 30 to hear the complaints and take a decision by November 30. For Maharashtra, the deadline will be October 12 and November 10.
The agenda of the meetings of the Commission will be sent in advance and the minutes of the meetings will also be prepared.
