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ECI drops Form 6 SIR declaration in finalised states as Rahul presses TCS questions

The Election Commission of India has withdrawn the Special Intensive Revision declaration that was tagged onto online Form 6 in states where the SIR exercise is already complete, while keeping the annexure where revision is still running. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded to know who at the poll body ordered Tata Consultancy Services to make what he called an illegal change — and who at TCS approved it.

Electronic voting machine control unit on a table
An electronic voting machine unit used in Indian elections. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

What changed on the ECINET portal

The Commission maintains that Form 6 itself was never rewritten as a statutory form. During SIR, a separate declaration asked applicants to map themselves or family members to earlier electoral rolls. Two Election Commissioners had reportedly flagged the online attachment as improper. Portal checks cited by national media show the ECINET update, effective around 30 September–1 October, removes that declaration from finalised states and retains it in about 13 states still under revision.

Polling officials carrying EVMs at a distribution centre
Polling officials with electronic voting machines ahead of polling. Image: Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India).

Gandhi’s questions feed into the opposition’s wider SIR critique. The INDIA bloc has also pressed paper-ballot demands and CEC accountability after its Delhi meeting. Jairam Ramesh alleged the mid-July digital change was meant to sideline Gen Z voters; the ECI points to a May Supreme Court judgment upholding SIR-period declarations.

Political heat on a legal backdrop

Even after the technical rollback in finished states, the Election Commission remains at the centre of the pre-poll debate over enrolment rules, vendor roles and digital process checks ahead of upcoming state contests. Reporting: NDTV.

Voter casting ballot at a Delhi polling booth
A voter at a polling booth in Delhi. Image: Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India).

Why Form 6 still matters

Form 6 is the path for first-time voters and for restoring names deleted during enumeration. Any digital annexure on that form is therefore politically sensitive — and closely watched by parties, civil society and first-time electors alike.

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