India
oi-Ashish Rana
The Election Commission of India is in centre of controversy after ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and technology being used to update the vote lists. According to a report, two of three Election Commissioners, Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have raised their objections multiple times over the decisions related to voter registration, deletion of names and access of the electoral roll database.
Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have reportedly raised objections concerning the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision processes and centralisation of electoral roll databases via ERONET, though the ECI denies internal disquiet, stating unanimous decisions.
According to an Indian Express report, Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have objected formally at least 14 times in the last 10 months. They have major concerned over alleged centralisation of the electoral roll database through ERONET and ECINET and whether state-level officials have proper access to the system.
However, within a few hours, The Election Commission rejected the suggestion of internal disquiet and said decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously. With these reports of internal conflict there are two names that are being in discussions are Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Who Is Vivek Joshi?
Vivek Joshi is a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Haryana cadre. He joined the Election Commission as an Election Commissioner on February 19, 2025.
Before taking up the Election Commission post, Joshi had a long career in government. He served as Chief Secretary of Haryana and also held important positions in the Union government.
Joshi served as Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training and later as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services. Earlier, he was the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
His career has also included several administrative positions in Haryana. He worked as Deputy Commissioner in Jind, Hisar and Panchkula and later served as Divisional Commissioner of Ambala.
Joshi comes from an academic background in engineering and economics. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee. He later completed a Master’s degree in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and obtained a Master’s degree and PhD in International Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.
Joshi is now one of the three members of the Election Commission and is overseeing the country’s election-related work alongside Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and fellow Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Who Is Sukhbir Singh Sandhu?
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Uttarakhand cadre. He joined the Election Commission as an Election Commissioner on March 15, 2024.
Before joining the poll panel, Sandhu served as Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand from July 2021 to January 2024. He had earlier headed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as its Chairman for around two years.
Sandhu has also worked in the Central government. He served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, where his work included areas related to institutions such as IITs and IIMs. He also briefly served as Secretary to the Lokpal of India.
His administrative career spans several states and government departments. According to the Election Commission, Sandhu served as Principal Secretary to four Chief Ministers belonging to three different political parties between 2007 and 2014.
He has also served as District Magistrate of Haridwar, Gautam Budh Nagar and Udham Singh Nagar.
Sandhu’s educational background is different from Joshi’s. He has an MBBS degree from Government Medical College, Amritsar, as well as a Master’s degree in History.
Why Are Vivek Joshi And Sukhbir Singh Sandhu In The ECI Controversy?
The two Election Commissioners have drawn attention because of their reported objections to decisions taken within the Election Commission over the past year.
One major issue concerns the way electoral rolls are managed through ERONET, which has now been integrated into ECINET. Joshi reportedly warned about what he described as a “gradual centralisation of the electoral roll database”. Sandhu later raised concerns that some state election officials did not have “proper and complete access” to ERONET.
Another issue involved changes to Form 6, which is used by people applying to become voters. According to the Indian Express report, Joshi and Sandhu objected to the addition of questions linked to previous SIR electoral rolls, calling the change “unauthorised and illegal”.
Their concerns have surfaced while the SIR process is taking place across several states and Union Territories. The controversy has therefore brought unusual attention to the two Election Commissioners and their roles within India’s top election body.
