Election Commission of India Denies Illegal Voter Form Changes

The Election Commission of India denied accusations that it illegally modified Form 6, the standard document used for voter registration. The dispute began after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar changed the form unilaterally following an observation by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

The commission clarified that Form 6 remained unchanged but was supplemented with a declaration form, known as Annexure D, under the SIR documentation framework to simplify compliance for new voters. It described Gandhi's claims as misleading, noting that the Supreme Court of India had already upheld the attached declaration and ruled that the SIR regime did not conflict with the Representation of the People Act.

All SIR decisions were unanimously approved by the commission. On September 29, the commission removed the additional declaration requirement in states and union territories where the SIR process had either concluded or not yet started. The SIR order was first implemented in Bihar on June 24, 2025.