All SIR decisions unanimous, changes in Form 6 upheld by Supreme Court: Election Commission

Key Points:

• The Election Commission (EC) clarified that all Special Intensive Revision (SIR) orders and updates to voter enrolment Form 6 were unanimously approved by all three commissioners and upheld by the Supreme Court, addressing concerns about decision-making and voter notices.
• The EC dismissed reports of internal conflicts, stating letters sent by two commissioners to the Cabinet Secretary related only to an officer on deputation and not policy or IT matters, and confirmed that disputed work redistribution orders were never implemented.
• To ease voter enrolment during SIR, the EC announced measures including doorstep collection of documents, extended deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, and special drives for inclusion of left-out voters, while emphasizing that personal hearings are generally not required except in exceptional cases.
• The EC reaffirmed that all commissioner directions will be meticulously followed, foreign trips of officers require commission approval, and new IT initiatives will be vetted by a committee including independent experts before commission approval.
• The commission emphasized that differing views are normal in institutional deliberations, highlighted ongoing roll updates across states, and committed to facilitating continuous enrolment and addressing voter concerns through enhanced outreach and technical improvements.