New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday described as “misleading” Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had “illegally and unilaterally” altered Form 6, which is used for voter registration.
Gandhi had alleged that Kumar misused his position to make changes to Form 6 to benefit the BJP. In a post on X, he shared a screenshot of the Election Commission’s September 26 press release concerning the declaration attached to Form 6 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The Election Commission, in a fact-check posted on X, said the decision to conduct the SIR in Bihar was taken unanimously by the Commission and the order was issued on June 24, 2025. It also referred to a Supreme Court judgment dated May 27, 2026, which, according to the poll panel, upheld the order.
The EC further cited its September 26 statement, saying the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court. On this basis, it termed Gandhi’s claim misleading.
What the Supreme Court said
The issue, however, saw a fresh development during Monday’s Supreme Court hearing. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant clarified that the court had not approved any modified version of Form 6.
The bench said it would examine the records to determine who had made the changes to the form. This clarification adds a significant distinction to the dispute over the Election Commission’s earlier statement.
Form 6 is used by individuals seeking inclusion of their names in electoral rolls as new voters. The current dispute relates to an additional declaration incorporated into its online version during the SIR exercise.
The matter remains under judicial consideration, with the Supreme Court expected to examine the records concerning the changes and the authority under which they were made.
