ECI FILES · THE FOURTEEN

The fourteen objections

At least 14 objections by Sandhu and Joshi, November 2025 to August 2026.

Neta·Resume

← ECI Files

ECI FILES · THE FOURTEEN

The fourteen objections

At least 14 objections by Sandhu and Joshi, November 2025 to August 2026.

About these objections

The Indian Express (23 Sep 2026, Ritika Chopra) reported at least 14 formal, on-record objections by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi between November 2025 and August 2026, including four on a single day, grouped around four subjects: the Form 6 change, centralised IT control of the roll software, appeals against restored West Bengal voters, and custody of the roll database. The published reports do not itemise all 14 (sir-rules-ie-14-objections-report); this file lists only the 12 the entries independently document, each with its own dated note or letter. The record does not say which single day carried four objections, so none is guessed here; 16 April 2026 is the only date on which two distinct, separately-dated objections (entries 2 and 3) are both recorded, and 29 July 2026 the only date on which two Commissioners separately made the same objection (entries 7 and 8).

14 objections · Nov 2025 – Aug 2026

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu8 objections · 1 joint

Vivek Joshi5 objections · 1 joint

Both · 1 joint note

Date knownMonth known, day notBoth commissionersNot itemised

The Indian Express’s report says 2 more objections are reported but not itemised in its published account — shown as the dashed circles above, past August 2026.

Show as a table

Every objection on the chart above, by date.
No.	Date	By	Concerns
1	4 Nov 2025	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	On Sandhu's direction, the Deputy Election Commissioner told the IT division that only EROs, DEOs and CEOs may exercise the statutory roll-management powers, and that IT systems must comply strictly with the law.
2	16 Apr 2026	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	Sandhu told senior officers that communications were going out in the Commission's name without its approval and that all future ones must have it, citing the 2023 Act.
3	16 Apr 2026	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	The same day, Sandhu recorded that the IT division had built new modules and portals without bringing them to him or the Commission, and that he had learned of them from the media; he asked that the Director General (IT) be directed to brief all members and obtain approvals.
4	24 Apr 2026	Vivek Joshi	Eight days after Sandhu, Joshi told the same officers that several communications were being sent in the Commission's name without its approval, citing Article 324 and the 2023 Act.
5	16 May 2026	Vivek Joshi	On a proposal to change Form 6 through the SIR framework, Joshi recorded that Forms 6 and 8 are statutory and cannot be altered without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and that the lawful course was to route the proposal through government rulemaking; Sandhu concurred on file three days later.

The Commission’s response

“Commission: differing notes are normal; all SIR decisions were unanimous”

The Commission said written notes and differing views among its members are standard deliberation before decisions, that Commissioners' suggestions were for improving processes, and that all its decisions over the past year, including the SIR, were unanimous decisions of the full Commission. It said ECINET runs under strict security and audit controls and that EROs and DEOs exercise their statutory powers of registration and deletion.

Election Commission of India · 23 Sep 2026Read the press note →

Every objection, in order

12 of 14 identifiedAll checked against a citation

014 Nov 2025

Sukhbir Singh SandhuOn Sandhu's direction, the Deputy Election Commissioner told the IT division that only EROs, DEOs and CEOs may exercise the statutory roll-management powers, and that IT systems must comply strictly with the law.DetailsHide

What followed

Nothing further in the record.

Entries

4 Nov 2025DEC Sanjay Kumar tells DG (IT) that IT systems must obey the law

Not a public document · described in reporting

About these objections

14 objections · Nov 2025 – Aug 2026

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu8 objections · 1 joint

Vivek Joshi5 objections · 1 joint

Both · 1 joint note

Date knownMonth known, day notBoth commissionersNot itemised

The Indian Express’s report says 2 more objections are reported but not itemised in its published account — shown as the dashed circles above, past August 2026.

Show as a table

Every objection on the chart above, by date.
No.	Date	By	Concerns
1	4 Nov 2025	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	On Sandhu's direction, the Deputy Election Commissioner told the IT division that only EROs, DEOs and CEOs may exercise the statutory roll-management powers, and that IT systems must comply strictly with the law.
2	16 Apr 2026	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	Sandhu told senior officers that communications were going out in the Commission's name without its approval and that all future ones must have it, citing the 2023 Act.
3	16 Apr 2026	Sukhbir Singh Sandhu	The same day, Sandhu recorded that the IT division had built new modules and portals without bringing them to him or the Commission, and that he had learned of them from the media; he asked that the Director General (IT) be directed to brief all members and obtain approvals.
4	24 Apr 2026	Vivek Joshi	Eight days after Sandhu, Joshi told the same officers that several communications were being sent in the Commission's name without its approval, citing Article 324 and the 2023 Act.
5	16 May 2026	Vivek Joshi	On a proposal to change Form 6 through the SIR framework, Joshi recorded that Forms 6 and 8 are statutory and cannot be altered without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and that the lawful course was to route the proposal through government rulemaking; Sandhu concurred on file three days later.

The Commission’s response

“Commission: differing notes are normal; all SIR decisions were unanimous”

Election Commission of India · 23 Sep 2026Read the press note →

Every objection, in order

12 of 14 identifiedAll checked against a citation

014 Nov 2025

What followed

Nothing further in the record.

Entries

4 Nov 2025DEC Sanjay Kumar tells DG (IT) that IT systems must obey the law

Not a public document · described in reporting

The fourteen objections

The fourteen objections

Every objection, in order

Every objection, in order

Commission says only designated officers can act on ECINET, with own IDs

Commission says only designated officers can act on ECINET, with own IDs