The Election Commission has clarified that it did not alter the original Form 6, even as controversy continues over an additional declaration added during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The clarification came after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the Supreme Court had not approved any modified Form 6. EC sources said the original form remained unchanged, including its wording and punctuation. However, an extra declaration page was added as part of a protocol developed during last year’s SIR in Bihar.
According to EC sources, the protocol was later challenged in the Supreme Court, which observed that it fell within the Election Commission’s constitutional powers.
The issue has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of changing Form 6 “illegally and unilaterally”. The EC rejected the allegation as “misleading”.
The controversy centres on additional requirements linked to an applicant’s ancestry and previous SIR records. A petition before the Supreme Court has also alleged that such changes were introduced through election software without following the required statutory procedure.
The court is examining the matter amid wider questions over the EC’s decision-making during the SIR process.