North India Statesman
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected allegations leveled by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, labeling his claims regarding the illegal modification of Form 6 as “misleading”. The dispute erupted after Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of unilaterally altering Form 6—the statutory document used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls—to allegedly assist the ruling party. In a formal fact-check clarification, the poll panel maintained that the statutory form was never tampered with and that the additional declaration linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar had legal standing and unanimous institutional backing.
ECI Cites Supreme Court Judgment and Unanimous Approval
Responding to the allegations, the poll panel outlined that the original order initiating the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar was issued on June 24, 2025, with the unanimous approval of the full Commission. The ECI highlighted that the operational framework of this order was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court of India in its ruling dated May 27, 2026. Reaffirming its official press note, the Commission explained that the declaration appended to Form 6 was designed strictly for the SIR exercise, while standard forms under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, remain applicable during regular, non-SIR enrolment periods.
Opposition Allegations and Supreme Court Scrutiny
The controversy gained renewed national traction following an intervention by a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which clarified that the apex court had not formally sanctioned any permanent modifications to statutory Form 6 and directed the production of official administrative records to determine how procedural changes were incorporated into online portals. Seizing on the court’s observation, Rahul Gandhi posted a sharp critique alleging abuse of power by the CEC.
Critics and opposition leaders raised concerns over the integration of parentage declaration requirements within online voter registrations, noting that a single OTP workflow on the portal made the SIR declaration appear as a mandatory component of statutory Form 6. The ECI subsequently withdrew that declaration from non-SIR state portals while rejecting rumors that its public press releases had been taken down.
War of Words Intensifies Ahead of Assembly Elections
The standoff has triggered sharp political crossfire between the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party. While opposition leaders have questioned internal consensus within Nirvachan Sadan citing reported reservations by fellow election commissioners, the BJP accused the opposition of deliberately misrepresenting administrative verification procedures to undermine public trust in electoral institutions. With the top court reviewing the underlying administrative files, the operational protocols governing voter registration and revision processes remain under intense national focus.
