Election Commission Removes Declaration in Form 6 For States Where SIR Has Concluded

The removal of the declaration was among a flurry of changes announced by the EC over the weekend following the recorded dissent of two of three election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, on the conduct of the contentious SIR exercise.

The Wire Staff

election commission removes declaration in form 6 for states where sir has concluded

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (centre) with Election Commissioners Dr S.S. Sandhu (left) and Dr. Vivek Joshi at a meeting held at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi, on September 26, 2026. Credit: ECI

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday (September 29) night removed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) declaration added to Form 6 from its ECINET application portal in states where the SIR procedure has concluded, a week after grave allegations were made about the poll body’s functioning in an exposé in The Indian Express.

The removal of the declaration – which had been inserted in between Sections J and K of the Form 6 online – was among a flurry of changes announced by the EC over the weekend following the recorded dissent of two of three election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, on the conduct of the contentious SIR exercise.

Sandhu and Joshi had termed these changes “illegal” as it could only be amended by the Union law ministry.

In its press note, the EC had said on September 26 that ‘for non-SIR period, the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used’. It also defended changes brought to the form for inclusion of new voters by saying that it had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

However, The Wire has previously reported that a look at the Supreme Court’s May judgement, raises more questions about the poll body’s defence on changes made to this crucial form.

In July, Form 6, the form Indians need to fill in order to demand inclusion in the electoral rolls, quietly underwent changes during the SIR.

Also read: How EC Has Quietly Changed Form 6 During SIR, Evading Parliament

The Election Commission first added a new declaration to be submitted along with Form 6 during the pilot SIR conducted in Bihar. Another page was added in the second round of the SIR in which the declaration form required voters to include their parents’ details to map it to the previous SIR along with the same declaration sought in Bihar, failing which they cannot proceed.

Crucially, the changes were brought only in July, whereas the top court’s judgement was delivered in May.

While many more questions remain unanswered, The Indian Express reported that as on Wednesday night, the ECINET portal no longer showed the declaration for the states where the final SIR electoral rolls have been published so far. It was, however, still there for those states where the SIR is still ongoing.

For our full coverage on the SIR and the issues it has brought to citizens, click here.

This article went live on September thirtieth, two thousand twenty six, at thirty-three minutes past one in the afternoon.

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