Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Supreme Court to Hear Plea on ECI Decision-Making
The Supreme Court will examine a complaint about how India’s Election Commission makes decisions.
The complaint concerns decisions taken while Gyanesh Kumar was the Chief Election Commissioner.
A lawyer says the law requires the commission to decide unanimously or by majority.
He told the court that it was unclear whether this rule was followed.
The case comes after a report about objections by two election commissioners.
The report said Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times to orders linked to checking voter lists.
The Election Commission gave a different explanation, saying the letters involved an officer working on deputation.
The Supreme Court will hear the petition next week.
The Supreme Court will hear next week a petition questioning decisions taken by the Election Commission of India under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The petitioner argues that the multi-member Election Commission must make decisions unanimously or by majority under the statutory framework.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh told the court there was serious doubt about whether recent decisions had the required collective approval.
The plea follows a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over 10 months to orders related to electoral-roll revision.
The Election Commission said the commissioners’ letters concerned an officer on deputation, not policy or Information Technology division matters.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, senior advocate Vikas Singh, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are central to the matter.
- What
- The court agreed to hear a petition questioning whether Election Commission decisions complied with the requirement for unanimous or majority approval.
- When
- The matter was mentioned on Tuesday, and the petition will be heard next week.
- Where
- The matter was mentioned before a Supreme Court bench in India.
- Why
- The petition raises concerns about collective approval of Election Commission decisions amid reported objections related to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Petitioners’ Concerns
Election Commission’s Position
Collective decision-making
Petitioners’ Concerns
The petition argues that there is serious doubt about whether the multi-member commission’s decisions were unanimous or approved by majority as required.
Election Commission’s Position
The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions were unanimous and that individual commissioners’ observations formed part of its deliberative process.
Reported objections
Petitioners’ Concerns
The Indian Express report said Sandhu and Joshi objected at least 14 times to SIR-related decisions and orders that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
Election Commission’s Position
The Election Commission said the letters cited in the report concerned an officer on deputation and did not relate to policy or Information Technology division matters.
Scope of the dispute
Petitioners’ Concerns
The petition brings the commission’s internal decision-making and its handling of electoral-roll revision before the Supreme Court.
Election Commission’s Position
The available material does not establish that the reported differences amounted to a breakdown in the commission’s decision-making process.
- Court
- Supreme Court of India
- Hearing
- The petition is scheduled to be heard next week.
- Bench
- Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Venkita Subramani Mohana.
- Statutory requirement
- The petition says decisions of the multi-member Election Commission must be unanimous or made by majority.
- Reported objections
- Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi allegedly objected at least 14 times over 10 months.
- Issue involved
- The reported objections concerned decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
- Election Commission response
- The commission said the letters sent to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation, rather than policy or Information Technology division matters.
Sources
SC to hear plea against ECI decisions taken under CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Supreme Court to hear plea questioning ECI orders amid objections from two poll panel members
Supreme Court agrees to early hearing of plea against poll panel functioning
Supreme Court to hear plea raising doubts over CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s decisions next week
