'Misleading': EC fact-checks Rahul Gandhi's 'CEC changed Form 6 illegally' post

The Election Commission (EC) issued a fact check on Monday amid controversy over reported changes to Form 6, refuting claims made by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had "changed Form 6 illegally and unilaterally." However, the EC clarified that this statement was misleading.

According to the EC, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) order for electoral rolls in Bihar, issued on June 24, 2025, received unanimous approval from the Commission and was upheld by the Supreme Court in its judgment dated May 27, 2026. The EC also cited its Press Note No. 120 dated September 26, 2026, which states that the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The EC clarified that Form 6 itself had not been altered, but that a declaration had been attached to the form during the SIR process. The form, known as Form 6, is the application used by eligible voters for inclusion in the electoral roll. The declaration, which sought additional details including information about the applicant's parents, was attached to Form 6 during the Bihar SIR order.

The EC emphasized that any modification to Form 6 had not been approved by the Commission. In a recent Supreme Court ruling, it was stated that the Commission did not approve any modification to Form 6 during the SIR exercise in various states. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, urged that any modification to records would be thoroughly examined.

Form 6 remained unchanged outside the SIR process, with the forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 applying in all other cases. The declaration was later withdrawn from the EC's online portals, and the online version of Form 6 and the declaration used a single OTP for verification, leading to confusion over its connection to Form 6. The EC also denied claims that it had withdrawn its September 26 press note.