How newspapers covered report about election commissioners’ objections to SIR decisions

Many Indian newspapers on Thursday led their front pages with reports about The Indian Express’ investigation about two election commissioners having objected 14 times in 10 months to decisions about the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.

Some of the newspapers clubbed the developments with the Supreme Court’s decision to refer to a larger bench pleas challenging the constitutionality of a 2023 law for the appointment of election commissioners.

Others such as The Hindu led with the Opposition’s call for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for “illegal conduct” and its demands for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the information in the report.

The Indian Express had reported on Wednesday that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected to decisions related to the SIR, saying that some had been taken without their knowledge.

Their objections were reportedly related to new registration of new voters and changes to Form 6, appeals against the inclusion of voters in West Bengal and the handling of voter data in Goa, among other matters. Form 6 is used to register new voters.

In one written objection, Sandhu was quoted as having stated that the poll panel had acted against the advice of both commissioners and described the action as “unauthorised and illegal”.

The two election commissioners had also raised concerns over...

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