Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday defended the Election Commission of India (ECI) amid an ongoing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She accused the opposition of misleading the public and attempting to divert attention by demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing a press conference, Gupta rejected allegations that the ECI had made unilateral changes to Form 6, which is used for adding names to electoral rolls. She said the Supreme Court had also noted that there had been no change to the form.
Gupta said the Election Commission had placed relevant issues before the public and maintained that the poll panel was functioning independently and impartially. She also referred to criticism of the ECI and questioned the opposition's approach to the controversy.
The dispute intensified following an Indian Express report that said election commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections multiple times between November 2025 and August 2026. The report also alleged that the officials had written to the Cabinet Secretary and that access to some ECI software had been restricted.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that such differences indicated a breakdown in its functioning. It said differing views and observations are a normal part of internal deliberations and maintained that its digital platforms operate under strict data-security protocols.
Gupta said the two election commissioners had subsequently described some of the allegations as misleading. She also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks concerning the poll panel and said action should be considered under laws relating to sedition.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday sought to present a united position amid growing criticism over its functioning. The poll panel maintained that decisions concerning the SIR process had been taken unanimously and issued clarifications on several questions raised by both the government and the opposition.
The SIR process has become a major political issue, with opposition parties raising concerns over the functioning of the electoral machinery, while the ECI and ruling-party leaders have defended the process and its procedures.
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