EC removes Form 6 change two Commissioners had called ‘illegal’ - The Indian Express
Four days after announcing the decision, the Election Commission, on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, removed the Special Intensive Revision declaration added to the statutory voter enrolment form, Form 6, from its ECINET application portal in states where the SIR has concluded. The EC had on September 26 announced that ‘for non-SIR period, the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used’.
This was after The Indian Express reported last week that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had expressed objections to the addition of the declaration in the Form 6, which can only be amended by the Union Law Ministry.
On Wednesday night, the ECINET portal no longer showed the declaration – which had been inserted in between Sections J and K of the Form 6 online – for the states where the final SIR electoral rolls have been published so far. The declaration was still there for those states where the SIR is still ongoing.
While the EC had rolled out a separate declaration form to be filled along with the Form 6 when it started the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar in 2025, the Form 6 had not been amended.
The Indian Express reported on July 12 that the online version users can submit on ECINET had a new declaration inserted in between the above two sections. It asked the applicant to answer whether they or their parents/grandparents were in the last SIR and to provide the booth and serial number, if so.
At the same time, the Form 6 available for download on the EC portal did not have this declaration.
Since the move was without amendment, the two Election Commissioners had objected to the same. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, only the central government can amend the voter enrolment, deletion and correction forms.
Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. Expertise Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats: Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues. Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production. Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included: Culture Social Justice Housing and Urban Affairs The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus). Trustworthiness Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of India's most respected and authoritative news institutions, The Indian Express and The Hindu, underscores her commitment to factual, impartial, and high-quality reporting, establishing her as a trusted and credible source for news on urban governance and electoral matters. ... Read More
