Lavasa Seeks Scrapping of SIR Phase 3, Asks EC to Clarify Dissent Claims

Former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa has called for Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to be scrapped, and urged the Election Commission to clarify whether objections reportedly raised by two of its members amount to formal dissent or are being treated as routine observations.

His remarks follow a media report claiming that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected to several decisions taken by the poll body without their knowledge. The Commission has rejected the apprehensions, saying all decisions taken over the past year were unanimous and that differing views are a normal part of institutional deliberation.

Lavasa, who served on the Commission from 2018 to 2020, questioned the distinction being drawn between formal dissent and internal observations. He said that if the objections were recorded as dissent, the Commission must issue a point-by-point clarification with dates and details. He also asked how a decision could be enforced when two election commissioners hold a contrary view, saying much of the uncertainty needed to be cleared.

During his own tenure, Lavasa recorded dissenting opinions on certain Commission decisions during the 2019 general election period.

Form 6 changes questioned

The reported changes to Form 6, used for registering new voters, have emerged as another point of concern. According to the report, the two election commissioners objected to linking new voter applications to the SIR process and described the change as illegal and unauthorised, arguing that the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would need to be amended first.

Lavasa said the Commission cannot independently alter a form of this nature without following the prescribed legal procedure, and that it must clarify whether the required rules and processes were followed.

Call to scrap Phase 3

The SIR aims to identify and remove ineligible names, including those of dead or duplicate voters, from voter rolls. The first two phases were completed in 2025 and early 2026, while Phase 3 is underway across 16 states and three Union Territories.

Lavasa said Phase 3 should be discontinued until the Commission provides greater clarity on the process, citing unexplained issues relating to mapping and logical discrepancies. He also questioned whether the staff implementing the exercise fully understand it.

Appeals in West Bengal

Citing the appeals process in West Bengal, Lavasa said at least 38 lakh appeals were filed after the second phase of the SIR, and that 93 per cent of disposed cases were decided in favour of voters whose names had been wrongfully deleted. He said the figures raise questions about the deletion process and called for a time-bound mechanism to restore the names of eligible voters.

The reported differences have raised questions about decision-making within the three-member constitutional body, particularly over the line between internal observations and formal dissent.