Stories
Supreme Court Refuses Interim Suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar Over SIR Row
- •The Supreme Court declined to suspend Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as an interim measure and issued notice to the Election Commission and other commissioners.
- •The bench questioned whether suspending the CEC would stall the functioning of the poll panel and asked who would conduct elections.
- •Petitioners challenge alleged unilateral decisions made by the CEC regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls without the concurrence of other commissioners.
- •The ECI maintained that differing views are part of its decision-making process and that its actions have full legal sanction.
- •The controversy has sparked political protests, with opposition parties demanding Kumar's resignation while the BJP dismissed the criticism as a smear campaign.
Key Questions Answered
On Monday, October 5, 2026, the Supreme Court declined to suspend Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as an interim measure and issued a notice to the Election Commission of India, Kumar, and the other two Election Commissioners regarding pleas challenging alleged unilateral decisions.
The petitions allege that CEC Gyanesh Kumar took unilateral decisions without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners, including changes to voter registration Form 6 and electoral-roll software linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The pleas rely on Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which mandates collective decision-making and states that the majority view must prevail when there is a difference of opinion.
