Opposition leaders target Election Commission over SIR, internal objections and voter rolls, seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and fresh polls in Bihar and Bengal.

Introduction

A fresh political confrontation has erupted over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), after a report detailed formal objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on several decisions concerning electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, DMK chief MK Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have separately questioned the functioning of the poll panel and demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Tejashwi also called for fresh elections in Bihar and West Bengal.

The controversy follows an investigation by The Indian Express, which reported that Sandhu and Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months on matters related to voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, electoral-roll systems and other SIR-related decisions.

Tejashwi Yadav Demands Fresh Elections

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Election Commission of being used to benefit the BJP. He questioned the poll panel's functioning and alleged that changes in electoral procedures had weakened the Opposition's ability to challenge election results.

Tejashwi referred to elections in Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and West Bengal while alleging that the Opposition had been disadvantaged by the functioning of the poll panel.

He also raised questions about the retention period for voting and counting records. According to his allegation, the period had been reduced from an earlier longer period to 45 days, which he argued could make it more difficult for parties to pursue legal challenges.

Tejashwi demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and called for fresh elections in Bihar and West Bengal. These statements represent the RJD leader's political allegations and demands, rather than findings established by a court.

What the Election Commission Dispute Is About

The controversy centres largely on the SIR exercise and the reported internal objections of two Election Commissioners.

According to The Indian Express, Sandhu and Joshi raised concerns about several matters, including changes to Form 6 for new voters, access to electoral-roll databases, appeals involving voter deletions and the functioning of digital systems used in electoral-roll management.

One reported dispute concerned Form 6, which is used by citizens seeking registration as voters. The investigation said a new declaration connected to the SIR process was added to the form and that the two commissioners objected to the change.

The report also detailed concerns over what the two commissioners described as increasing centralisation of access to electoral-roll databases.

EC Says Decisions Were Unanimous

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that major decisions were taken without the participation or approval of all three commissioners.

In its response to the Indian Express investigation, the ECI said that differing views, observations and technical suggestions are normal parts of deliberations within a multi-member institution.

The poll panel said decisions concerning SIR and other electoral reforms during the past year were taken unanimously by the full Commission. It also said internal notes and observations should be understood as part of the decision-making process before final orders are issued.

This creates two competing accounts of the controversy: the investigation describes repeated formal objections by two commissioners, while the ECI maintains that the final decisions were unanimously approved by the full Commission.

MK Stalin Seeks Gyanesh Kumar’s Removal

DMK president MK Stalin also demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and called for the SIR exercise to be halted.

Stalin referred to the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi and questioned the decision-making process within the three-member Commission. He said concerns raised by serving Election Commissioners should not be treated simply as internal procedural differences.

He also questioned electoral-roll appeals filed against decisions relating to voters who had been restored following judicial intervention.

Stalin has previously opposed the SIR exercise and has called for greater scrutiny of the electoral-roll revision process.

Mamata Banerjee Raises Questions Over SIR

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also reacted strongly to the reported internal objections within the Election Commission.

She alleged that the electoral-roll revision process had been misused and called for action against Gyanesh Kumar. She further questioned the role of officials and personnel involved in the electoral-roll exercise.

The allegations made by Banerjee remain political claims and have not been established as judicial findings.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has maintained that its electoral-roll revision decisions followed established procedures and were approved by the Commission.

Akhilesh Yadav Questions Electoral Process

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the Election Commission's functioning following the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi.

Akhilesh said the reported 14 objections over 10 months raised serious questions about the functioning of a constitutional institution responsible for conducting elections.

He also alleged that voters supporting the Samajwadi Party had been removed from electoral rolls and said the party had previously raised the issue with the Election Commission.

Akhilesh urged the Supreme Court to take note of the reported developments.

West Bengal SIR and Voter Appeals

West Bengal has emerged as one of the major points of dispute surrounding the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that 27.16 lakh voters had been removed during the revision process and that more than 22 lakh of them had filed appeals seeking reinstatement. Overall, more than 38 lakh appeals were reported, including applications seeking the deletion of additional names.

The issue has generated a broader debate over how voter-roll corrections should be conducted, how deleted voters can appeal and which authorities should oversee those decisions.

The Election Commission has maintained that voter deletions under the SIR process involved categories such as deceased, shifted, absentee and duplicate entries, while political parties have questioned the process and its implementation.

Why the 14 Objections Matter

The Indian Express investigation reported that the two Election Commissioners formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months. Some objections reportedly concerned whether decisions were taken with the required involvement of the full Commission.

The controversy therefore goes beyond individual electoral-roll decisions and raises questions about how a multi-member constitutional body records disagreements and reaches final decisions.

Under the legal framework governing the Election Commission, matters are intended to be handled unanimously as far as possible, while differences in opinion are resolved according to the majority view.

Key Highlights

• RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
• Tejashwi called for fresh elections in Bihar and West Bengal.
• DMK chief MK Stalin also demanded Gyanesh Kumar's removal and a halt to SIR.
• Mamata Banerjee criticised the Election Commission over the reported internal objections.
• Akhilesh Yadav questioned the poll panel's functioning and raised concerns over electoral-roll deletions.
• The Indian Express reported at least 14 formal objections by two Election Commissioners over 10 months.
• The reported objections involved voter registration, deletions, electoral-roll databases and SIR-related procedures.
• The Election Commission said final decisions were unanimously approved by all three commissioners.
• In West Bengal, more than 22 lakh of the 27.16 lakh deleted voters were reported to have filed appeals seeking reinstatement.
• The controversy has intensified the political debate over electoral-roll revision and the functioning of the Election Commission.

Professional Disclaimer & Third-Party Reference

This article is based on publicly reported information and statements available as of September 23, 2026. Political allegations and claims attributed to Tejashwi Yadav, MK Stalin, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav are presented as statements made by those leaders and should not be treated as independently established facts.

Reference material includes reporting by The Indian Express, Times of India, The New Indian Express and other standard third-party news sources, along with statements attributed to the Election Commission of India.

Conclusion

The dispute over the Election Commission has intensified following reports of repeated objections by two Election Commissioners over SIR and electoral-roll procedures. Opposition parties are demanding greater scrutiny and action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, while the Election Commission maintains that its final decisions were unanimously approved and followed established procedures.