Former EC Chiefs Raise Questions Over Reported Dissent on Voter-List Process

Former Chief Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and O.P. Rawat have reacted to reports of differences among the three Election Commissioners over decisions related to electoral-roll processes. Quraishi said the Election Commission is required to take decisions through unanimity or majority and argued that transparency is essential in explaining how major decisions were reached. He also called for the Commission to make public a list of decisions taken over the past year and a half.

Rawat described the reported differences among the commissioners as serious and unfortunate, recalling that decisions during his tenure as CEC were taken unanimously. The Election Commission, however, has said that differing views are a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its official decisions and directions carry legal sanction. The controversy is linked to reported objections by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over aspects of the Special Intensive Revision and voter-registration process.