New Delhi, 23 September (H.S.): Amid reports of differences within the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and objections reportedly raised by two Election Commissioners, the poll panel on Wednesday said differences of opinion are a natural part of the decision-making process. It maintained that all its policy and administrative decisions have been taken unanimously by the full Commission.

In a press note issued by the Commission’s Deputy Director P. Pawan, the poll panel said questions, comments and suggestions raised by members at the draft stage form part of the process leading to a final decision. Such deliberations, it said, are intended to safeguard voters’ rights and improve the electoral process.

The Commission said every official, including all three Election Commissioners, has the right to offer suggestions aimed at strengthening the electoral system.

It said the Election Commission functions as a multi-member constitutional body under Article 324 of the Constitution. Written notes, comments, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances, it added, are part of its regular administrative framework to ensure transparency, compliance with the law and operational accuracy.

The Commission further said that all official orders, decisions and administrative directions are issued in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

It cautioned against drawing conclusions about its overall decision-making process from selected internal notes or comments from the past 10 months, saying that doing so would present only one part of the larger picture.

The poll panel said several electoral reforms, including measures related to the revision of electoral rolls and the SIR exercise, had been undertaken in recent months. It said around 40 new initiatives had also been introduced, all as a result of unanimous decisions taken by the full Commission during the past year.

The Commission also referred to major Assembly elections conducted in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal. It said the conduct of these elections involved a broad administrative and operational framework, with approvals required at multiple levels of the Commission.

On concerns surrounding digital voter databases, the Commission said all its digital platforms, including ECINET, operate under stringent data-security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised access, tampering and manipulation. Security checks and audit controls for the national database, it added, form part of its regular cybersecurity measures.

The Commission said Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs) exercise their statutory powers under the law when adding or deleting names from electoral rolls. It reiterated its commitment to fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities with diligence and integrity and to strengthening the democratic process.

The statement came after a report published on Wednesday claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written objections at least 14 times during the past 10 months within the three-member Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to the report, the objections related to various issues, including changes to Form 6 used for new voter registration, the centralisation of the voter database, the powers of election officials at the state level and appeals arising during the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar