2 EC Flagged ‘Unauthorised, Illegal’ Decisions 14 Times in 10 Months

Synopsis

Dispute over decision-making and oversight, Sandhu reportedly stated that certain actions were taken despite the written advice of two Election Commissioners and described those actions as “unauthorised and illegal.” However, The Chief Election Commissioner acknowledged these notes but described them as part of the panel’s “decision-making process”. Elections in India are free and fair, but who ensures that the institution conducting those elections is itself accountable?

The Panel Paradox

As per Indian Express investigation, the controversy isn't coming from outside the Election Commission, it's coming from within the commission, Two of the Commission's three members repeatedly objected to decisions involving voter rolls, electoral records, and oversight mechanisms.

These objections were formally communicated within the Commission, including to the Chief Election Commissioner. Election Commissioner, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, both of them have formally objected at least 14 times over the last 10 months that decisions were taken and orders were issued without their consensus.

Dispute over decision-making and oversight, Sandhu reportedly stated that certain actions were taken despite the written advice of two Election Commissioners and described those actions as "unauthorised and illegal."

The investigation suggests disagreements over how key electoral roll-related decisions were being handled within the Commission. Sandhu and Joshi separately wrote to the Cabinet Secretary objecting to changes in work allocation that, according to them, reduced a layer of oversight over the IT infrastructure managing electoral rolls.

They said these changes were made without their knowledge and opposed them, highlighting concerns about governance and supervision of the electoral roll system.

CEC’s Response

The Chief Election Commissioner acknowledged these notes but described them as part of the panel’s “decision-making process”.

However, the statement did not say who approved the controversial change to Form 6, why no action was taken even after the Commissioners had warned that it was illegal.

Or who authorised the lakhs of appeals filed on behalf of the ECI against restored voters in West Bengal; why the two Commissioners’ proposal for an audit of ECINet went unanswered; or why the full Commission did not meet between May and August, despite these concerns?

CJP’s Response

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, plans to launch a nationwide agitation, including an "Election Commission Thik Karo" campaign, with protests kicking off in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) before expanding to other cities.

On September 25, the All India Students’ Association and opposition parties staged a protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

Demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. However. Hours later, around 90 demonstrators were detained by Delhi Police personnel and most of them without name tags. A senior Police officer claimed, “No permission sought” for the protest.

Plea in SC Seeking Action Against CEC

The Petition was filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, through advocate Chand Quershi. The plea states that it reveals unprecedented constitutional fractures and illegalities committed within the Election Commission (ECI) under CEC.

"These official files reveal that over 10 months (November 2025 - August 2026), the other two Election Commissioners, Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, formally recorded written dissents and objections on at least 14 separate occasions (including four times on a single day) against unilateral, unauthorised, and illegal decisions taken and executed in the name of the Commission," it contended.

Road Ahead

Democracy runs on trust. If people no longer trust the process, they may start questioning the results, the institutions, and even whether their vote matters. And that's a challenge no democracy can afford to ignore.