NEW DELHI: The dispute over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has intensified after INDIA bloc parties announced a series of nationwide programmes, including a joint march to the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi on October 6, 2026.

The opposition alliance has also announced district-level “Save Democracy” programmes from October 2 to 8 and a larger rally in Delhi on November 1. The parties are demanding greater transparency in the voter-list revision process and have called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These are political demands made by opposition parties and are not established findings of the Election Commission or a court.

Also Read: AFSPA Extended in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for Six Months Till March 31, 2027

What Is the SIR Controversy?

The immediate dispute centres on the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the procedures used to verify, add, delete or restore voter records.

An investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions between November 2025 and September 2026 over various decisions and processes connected with electoral-roll revision, database access and related administrative matters. 1

The Election Commission has disputed some interpretations of the reported internal disagreements and has said that certain communications cited in the controversy concerned an officer on deputation rather than policy or IT matters. 2

Also Read: Political Firestorm Over Modi Mimicry at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Indore; Comedian Pulkit Mani Cancels Shows Citing Threats

Form 6 Became Another Point of Dispute

One issue concerned Form 6, the statutory application used by eligible citizens to register as voters. The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had questioned the addition of an SIR-related declaration to the online form and the authority under which the change was introduced.

On September 30, the Election Commission removed the additional SIR declaration from Form 6 on its ECINET portal in states where the SIR process had already concluded. The declaration remained visible in states where the exercise was still underway. 3

Questions Over Voter Database and Software

The reported internal objections also included questions about access to electoral-roll databases and changes to election-related IT systems.

In response to the wider controversy, the Election Commission ordered a review of its voter-roll software. Reuters reported that the review would examine whether the software complies with legal requirements, with an independent technology expert included in the assessment. 4

The Commission has also announced transparency-related measures, including circulating meeting agendas in advance and issuing minutes after meetings. 5

What Is the INDIA Bloc Demanding?

Following its September 30 meeting, the INDIA bloc announced a coordinated programme of political action over the SIR process and the functioning of the Election Commission.


The alliance has also said it intends to approach the Supreme Court seeking faster hearings in pending cases concerning SIR and alleged electoral irregularities. The INDIA bloc's stated positions are political demands and do not by themselves establish wrongdoing by the Election Commission.

What About the “13 Crore Voters Deleted” Claim?

The figure of approximately 13 crore requires careful context. Reuters reported that around 130 million people were left out of initial draft electoral lists during the nationwide voter-verification exercise. 6

However, treating all 13 crore names as permanently or illegally “deleted voters” would not accurately describe the status of draft electoral rolls. Names appearing in draft lists can be subject to verification, claims, objections and restoration before final rolls are published.

The distinction is important because the status of a name in a draft electoral roll is not necessarily the same as permanent exclusion from the final electoral register.

ECI's Response and Review

The Election Commission has maintained that its electoral-roll procedures follow the applicable legal framework. At the same time, the Commission has announced procedural and software-related reviews amid the controversy.

Reuters reported that the software review will assess compliance with legal requirements and involve an independent technology expert. The Commission has also indicated measures intended to improve transparency in its internal proceedings. 7

What Happens Next?

The immediate political milestones include the October 2–8 nationwide programmes, the INDIA bloc's October 6 march to the Election Commission and the larger rally planned for November 1 in Delhi.

The controversy has several distinct components that need to be considered separately: the design and implementation of SIR, changes to Form 6, voter-roll database management, reported disagreements among Election Commissioners, opposition allegations and demands, and the Election Commission's institutional response.

The current dispute combines a political campaign over electoral-roll revision with separate questions about administrative procedures, software systems and the internal functioning of the Election Commission.