The Election Commission’s latest clarification on reports of internal dissent sparked a new round of political battle on Saturday, with the BJP claiming the controversy is now defused; allies backing it after having raised questions; but the Congress issuing a list of “unanswered questions”.
“Gyanesh Kumar Gupta can try, as much as he wants, to hide behind these long press notes. He cannot simply wash his hands of this mess,” Congress MP and spokesperson Pawan Khera said in a post on X, singling out Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The latest row began after The Indian Express reported on September 23 that the other two commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, wrote at least 14 objection notes on decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Saturday’s clarification, issued after a full-house meeting of the EC, was termed “too lame, too little, too late” by the Congress. Pawan Khera repeated what Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had said to Gyanesh Kumar, telling him to resign or “turn approver” in the case of alleged voter manipulation “to favour the BJP”.
The ruling BJP’s Sambit Patra, however, said the commission’s statement “clarifies this matter unequivocally”. The party’s social media head Deepak Mhaskey posted the photo shared by the EC and wrote: “One photo. One official note. Days of propaganda wiped out in minutes.” BJP president Nitin Nabin followed up with a post on X, adding, “Wins and losses are an inherent part of democracy, but resorting to malicious propaganda to discredit respected constitutional institutions is deeply unfortunate.”
One photo.
One official note.Days of propaganda wiped out in minutes. A 99-election losing streak, and still the same old playbook.
Some people and ecosystems really never learn. 💁🏼😂#RahulexposedbyEC pic.twitter.com/MCeSXydXB9
— Deepak Mhaskey (@deepakmhaskey) September 26, 2026
BJP ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which had earlier said the EC should address the issue, also cited the press note, with party boss and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu posting on X that the “unanimous clarification… reaffirms the integrity and credibility of our constitutional institutions and puts to rest all the misconceptions surrounding it”. Naidu was not the only ally who had raised questions earlier but saw the latest press note as the final word. Union Minister Chirag Paswan of Bihar-based LJP said it was his responsibility to raise public concerns regarding the SIR with a “sense of responsibility”. “Today, the Election Commission has clearly stated its position on all important issues point by point… This clarity further strengthens public trust in democracy,” he wrote on X.
The unanimous clarification issued by the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reaffirms the integrity and credibility of our constitutional institutions and puts to rest all the…
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) September 26, 2026
Commission’s Clarification, BJP’s Defence
The exchange followed a press note issued after Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at Nirvachan Sadan on Saturday afternoon. The note said the orders for the SIR were issued with the “unanimous approval of the Commission”. It also spoke of a “letter to Cabinet Secretary”, reportedly written by Joshi and Sandhu, and said the letter “was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to [the] working of an officer on deputation to ECI”. It asserted that the contentious work redistribution orders issued by the officer were not actually implemented.
At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “As a political party, it is our duty to place before the public and the nation the facts regarding how the Congress party is attacking constitutional institutions to serve its own vested interests.”
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: BJP MP Sambit Patra says, “Regarding the press release issued today by the Election Commission of India on a public platform, the most significant point to note addresses the allegations leveled against the Commission and political… pic.twitter.com/TdLbczhef9
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2026
He added, “Regarding the press release issued today by the Election Commission of India on a public platform, the most significant point to note addresses the allegations levelled against the Commission and political parties, specifically the BJP… It had been alleged that there was a lack of consensus within the Election Commission, implying the three commissioners were not united, and that the matter had escalated to the point where the Cabinet Secretary had to intervene. Furthermore, it was claimed that the BJP was using the Election Commission as a pawn for its own defence. Today’s statement clarifies this matter unequivocally.”
He argued that any meetings with the Cabinet Secretary are formally recorded; “they are not informal discussions that leave no trace or official minutes”. While the EC note mentioned only a letter, Patra referred to a meeting and said, “This is a routine administrative procedure. Officers arrive on deputation, and personnel matters are discussed at various levels of governance. Yet, the Congress party portrayed it as a meeting arising out of internal dissent.”
Opposition’s Rebuttal Lists 3 Issues
The Congress, however, said the note “confirms” that the media report “was indeed true”, and that the note “leaves the central questions unanswered”.
It then set out three issues. On Form 6, the enrolment form for new voters, the party said, “Two ECs opposed the changes to Form 6. One called them ‘unauthorised’ and ‘illegal’.”
🔔FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE WITH THE ECI PRESS NOTE
As per The Indian Express report, two Election Commissioners labelled the changes to Form 6 as “illegal” and “unauthorised,” warning that they could lead to voter harassment. ECs Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu argued in May 2026… https://t.co/HkHng3kCut
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) September 26, 2026
The press note said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR “has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court”. The declaration requires applicants to establish their link to the previous SIR through their parents’ names. The EC said that for the non-SIR period, “the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used”.
The Congress asked, “But what about young voters disenfranchised in Bihar or West Bengal, where SIR was followed by elections without an intervening SSR?”, referring to the Special Summary Revision of rolls. Khera added, “What is the relevance of the old Form 6 if the SSR has not been conducted since Jan 2024?”
The press note said the SIR has already been completed in 20 states or UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal, and that anyone left out may apply to the electoral registration officer for inclusion under continuous updation.
On the portal ECINET, the commission said a committee will review the portal “to double-check that it complies with the provisions of the Acts and Rules”.
“But it already has a Project Steering Committee (PSC) overseeing e-governance, including ECINET – with all DECs and 3 IIT/IIM experts,” the Congress said.
On Goa, where 97 voters were reportedly not re-included despite state officers confirming their credentials, the EC note said the state’s chief electoral officer had now directed booth-level officers to visit left-out voters at home, and 81 of the 97 “have already filled Form 6 for inclusion”.
The Congress said this was belated: “Why were they excluded in the first place? How many others across India were excluded for the same reason? And how is the ECI planning to find them and restore them?”
Sandhu and Joshi have not spoken publicly about the objections attributed to them. Saturday’s note did not say whether they had recorded objections, though an earlier note said disagreements were part of the process.
A petition filed in the Supreme Court by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi argues that Gyanesh Kumar has committed illegal acts and cannot claim immunity under Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
The Congress-led Opposition’s INDIA bloc is scheduled to meet on September 30, with Gyanesh Kumar’s removal as the main agenda.