Election Commission removes SIR declaration from Form 6 after dissent
Published
The declaration is gone from the online voter-registration form where SIR has ended. Two of three commissioners called its insertion illegal, and Rahul Gandhi asks who ordered it.
Reporting as of 1 October 2026, 1.30pm IST.
What is the Form 6 change? The Election Commission has removed the SIR declaration from online Form 6, the voter-registration form, in states where the SIR revision has ended, The Wire reported. The declaration stays where SIR is still under way.
Where it was removed, a voter filling the form online no longer sees it. The change took effect on 29 September 2026, after a press note dated 26 September.
What changed on the ECINET form
The declaration had been inserted between Sections J and K of Form 6 on the ECINET portal. The form was changed quietly in July 2026, during SIR, The Wire reported.
The EC's note says that for the non-SIR period, forms "as per the Rules" will be used. The EC has not said, in the reports we read, why it reversed course.
Two commissioners called the change illegal
Two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, recorded dissent. They called the change "illegal", saying only the Union law ministry can amend the forms, The Wire said.
India TV reports the two reportedly objected 14 times to SIR decisions over 10 months. That figure comes from a single source.
That dissent is now part of the political fight.
Rahul Gandhi asks who ordered it
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi asked: "Who at the ECI ordered Tata Consultancy Services to make that change?" He added: "Were they pressured into doing it?" India TV reported.
We found no response from TCS or the EC on who gave the order. India TV also reports a 3.5-hour meeting of 19 opposition parties, from a single source.
The outlets chose different angles. The Wire led on the reversal after dissent; India TV led on Rahul Gandhi's question. See how every outlet covered it.
What reversing means for a voter
A voter registering in a state where SIR has ended now sees the form without the declaration. In states where SIR continues, the declaration stays.
What happens to voters who already registered with the declaration is not covered in the reports we read.
What happens next
India TV reports that INDIA bloc MPs plan a march to the Election Commission on 6 October 2026. That date comes from a single source.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 1 outlet across the spectrum: 0% left, 0% center, 100% right.
Who is covering this story
- Right-leaning (1): India TV English