ECs unanimously approved SIR orders on Form 6 declaration: Sources

A day after the Election Commission clarified that there was “no change” to Form 6, sources within the poll body said that both Election Commissioners, along with the Chief Election Commissioner, had unanimously approved the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for Bihar, the Summary Revision (SR) for Assam, the SIR orders for 12 States/UTs and the SIR orders for 19 States/UTs.

The sources pointed out that the approved SIR orders include a Declaration Form to be submitted along with Form 6 for new voters. They said the requirement is in line with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and has also been upheld by the Supreme Court. The ECI has said the declaration is an additional requirement and does not alter the existing Form 6.

According to The Indian Express report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to the SIR declaration being incorporated into the online Form 6, arguing that the statutory form could not be altered without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 through the prescribed process.

The report then states that Joshi and Sandhu had raised objections in May to changes made to Form 6 during the SIR rollout. Joshi had warned that Form 6 could not be changed unless the government amended the 1960 rules, while Sandhu backed the objection, calling the move “unauthorised and illegal” and saying it “must be removed immediately.”

Speaking to India Today earlier, former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat and former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa supported the objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi.

The Election Commission, however, clarified that there had been no change to Form 6 itself and said the additional requirement was introduced through a separate declaration, or Annexure D, alongside the existing form.

The poll panel drew a distinction between the approved Form 6 and the added declaration linked to SIR.

"There has been no change to Form 6. The requirement relating to linkage with parents/grandparents has been introduced as an additional declaration alongside the existing and approved Form 6," the Election Commission told India Today.

The ECI also referred to its SIR instructions issued on June 24, 2025, before the exercise in Bihar.

It said, "In case of application for registration as a new elector... it is also directed that henceforth, along with Form 6/Form 8, an additional declaration form (Annexure D) shall also be required to be filled by the applicant to support the declaration made therein."

Form 8 is required to be filled by voters who move to a new constituency.

As a result, Form 6 remains unchanged on paper, but Annexure D continues as an additional requirement under the SIR rules.- Ends

Anjana Om Kashyap is Editor, Special Projects with the TV Today network.