Former CEC Quraishi Criticizes Election Commission’s Internal Processes

Quraishi’s critique follows an Indian Express report detailing 14 instances where Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected to decisions regarding the revision process, voter deletions, and database access. Quraishi questioned the logic of the commission’s public defense, asking how the body could justify inconsistent applications of Form 6 for different citizens.

The commission maintains that all decisions, including those concerning the roll revision, received unanimous approval from the three commissioners. Officials framed the internal disagreements as standard administrative inputs rather than institutional dissent. However, the controversy has triggered broader calls for reform. Former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has demanded the removal of the current commissioners and the annulment of elections conducted under the current roll revision, while several opposition parties, including Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT), have called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. MP Shashi Tharoor echoed these concerns, labeling the situation a denial of constitutional voting rights and alleging that software modifications have actively prevented electoral officers from restoring deleted voters.