EC rolls back SIR declaration in Form 6 for states where the exercise is over: What it means

The Election Commission has removed the extra SIR-related declaration from Form 6 in states where the electoral roll revision process is finished, according to PTI. This means that people living in these states will only need to complete the standard Form 6 to become registered voters. However, in areas where the roll revision is still ongoing, the declaration remains on the ECINET portal.

Those applying for the first time in these regions must provide information connecting themselves, their parents, or grandparents to electoral rolls from a previous SIR. This move comes after the Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc in India plans to meet in New Delhi to decide on their strategy against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar concerning this matter.

The decision was made following a September 26 meeting of the full Commission, including CEC Kumar and his Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The Commission clarified that the declaration attached to Form 6 was specifically for SIR and that for the non-SIR period, the Forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 would be used.

The controversy arose after The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had opposed changes to Form 6, stating that a form under the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 should not be altered without amending the rules. Sandhu expressed concern over the change as "unauthorized/illegal" and requested its removal. Both Sandhu and Joshi had raised objections to SIR-related decisions at least 14 times over the past 10 months, claiming these actions were taken without their consent or approval.

The Commission emphasized that orders related to SIR had unanimous approval from all three election commissioners.