Form 6 not modified, only declaration added: Election Commission

On Monday, Election Commission officials clarified that Form 6 had not been modified; instead, a supplementary declaration form had been added to the SIR documentation framework. This clarification came in response to Chief Justice Surya Kant's observation that any altered Form 6 had not received their approval. This led to accusations from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who claimed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had changed Form 6 "illegally and unilaterally."

The Election Commission responded to Gandhi's statement as misleading, emphasizing that his reference to the September 26 press note neglected paragraph 1(iii), which expressly stated that the Supreme Court had upheld the declaration attached to Form 6.

The Election Commission highlighted that the SIR orders for Bihar on June 24-2025, twelve states and Union Territories on October 27-2025, and nineteen states and Union Territories on May 14-2026, all required the filing of annexure D with Form 6/8 to support the declaration. These decisions, which applied to Bihar, twelve states and Union Territories on October 27-2025, and nineteen states and Union Territories on May 14-2026, were approved unanimously by the Chief Election Commissioner and both election commissioners.

The Supreme Court's May 27-2026 order supported this, stating that new voters had to submit Form 6 with annexure D. The Court held that Bihar's SIR neither conflicted with the Representation of the People Act or Registration of Electors Rules, nor undermined free and fair polls. The Election Commission described the documentation regime as an exercise of its administrative discretion in the pursuit of its constitutional mandate.

In September 29, the Commission removed the additional declaration requirement in states and Union Territories where the SIR had been completed or was yet to commence.