New Delhi: Amid repeated claims on social media about “friction” in the ECI, the poll panel has reiterated that the SIR decisions were taken unanimously and letters written by two Election Commissioners to the Cabinet Secretary were “not related to any policy matter” or the IT division.
The ECI has repeatedly denied the allegations that there was any “disagreement” within the Commission – a claim made by the Opposition parties to demand the “removal” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The poll panel had clarified that the letters written to the Cabinet Secretary were related to the working of an officer on deputation to the ECI.
“The work re-distribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two Commissioners and the oversight over the IT division by the DEC was never actually withdrawn,” the ECI had said in a statement.
In an attempt to clarify that there was no reason for any disagreement within the ECI, the poll panel had maintained that the issues raised by Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, in their letters had become infructuous.
“The internal distribution/allocation of the work has been continuing as per the arrangement contained in the earlier Office Order dated September 23, 2025,” the ECI had maintained.
“An Office Order came to be issued on July 28, 2026 by an IAS officer of the rank of Additional Secretary who had been posted on deputation to the Election Commission pertaining to internal work allocation. On July 29, 2026, the two Election Commissioners wrote separate letters to the Cabinet Secretary in relation to this order and the conduct of the officer. In view of the joint direction dated July 30, 2026 by the two Election Commissioners, the order of July 28, 2026 was never implemented,” said the statement issued earlier by the ECI.
