India voter rolls were revised through unanimous decisions by all three Election Commission members, the commission told the Supreme Court in an affidavit responding to allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar acted alone.

Key Takeaways

  • The commission said its orders in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026 were unanimous.
  • It denied amending voter registration Form 6 but acknowledged that its online display could have suggested otherwise.
  • The Supreme Court issued notice on the challenges on October 5, 2026, without granting interim relief.

India voter rolls dispute before the court

In its response dated October 26, 2026, the Election Commission rejected allegations that Kumar exercised the powers of the three-member body without collective decision-making. The affidavit was approved unanimously by Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Petitioner Rakesh Kumar Singh has sought Kumar’s suspension and prosecution over decisions allegedly taken unilaterally during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The commission argued that the plea to restrain the chief election commissioner was not maintainable.

The commission said notes, queries and suggestions made while a file moves between members do not constitute commission decisions. It also said a July 28 work-allocation order was never implemented after the two election commissioners issued a joint direction on July 30.

Registration forms and voter deletions

The commission said Form 6, used for voter enrolment, had not been amended and that the revision’s declaration was a separate document. It acknowledged that the online display could be read as an amendment and said the online application would be split into the form and declaration from October 21.

Voters who are not mapped need not attend hearings, the commission said. Booth-level officers will collect documents from their homes, with hearings held only in exceptional cases and preferably online.

The commission also said names cannot be added to or deleted from its ECINet database without an electoral registration officer’s order. A committee including experts from IIT and IISc has been established to check compliance.

Separate challenge to the revision

Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders have separately challenged the revision in the Supreme Court. Their requests include disclosure of official records, an independent audit of voter deletions and safeguards against removing eligible voters without notice or a hearing.

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