Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over changes made to the online Form 6, which is used by new voters to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls.
In a post on X on October 1, Gandhi asked which official at the Election Commission instructed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to make the changes and who at the company approved them. He also questioned whether TCS was pressured to implement the alteration.
What Is the Form 6 Issue?
The controversy concerns an additional declaration related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that was added to the online Form 6 on the ECINET portal. Reports said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the change.
The Election Commission has subsequently decided to remove the additional SIR declaration from Form 6 in states where the electoral-roll revision has already been completed.
Political Dispute Intensifies
Gandhi’s remarks come amid a wider dispute between the Opposition and the Election Commission over SIR and electoral-roll changes. The INDIA bloc has announced nationwide ‘Save Democracy’ marches beginning October 2 and plans to march to the Election Commission on October 6.
The issue is now part of the broader political debate over voter registration, electoral-roll revisions and the functioning of the poll panel.