Mumbai, September 25, 2026 ; Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid reports of differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In a post on X, Thackeray said the objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding decisions taken during the SIR process were serious. An Indian Express investigation reported that the two commissioners had formally objected on multiple occasions to decisions they said were taken without their knowledge, including issues concerning Form 6, electoral-roll database access and the SIR process.
Thackeray argued that Kumar should resign and called for an investigation into both the CEC and what he described as the “masterminds” behind the decisions. He also questioned who would conduct such an inquiry.
He further criticised the functioning of the Election Commission and alleged that its institutional autonomy had been compromised. These are Thackeray’s political allegations, rather than established findings. The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the CEC acted unilaterally, stating that decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken by the full Commission and that the concerns raised by the two commissioners related to the draft stage and normal administrative processes.
Concerns Raised Over SIR
According to the Indian Express investigation, Sandhu and Joshi reportedly raised objections concerning:
- Changes to Form 6, used for new voter registration.
- Alleged centralisation of electoral-roll database access.
- Procedures relating to appeals and voter deletions during SIR.
- Software-related issues affecting the implementation of electoral-roll decisions.
The report said the two commissioners had formally raised objections 14 times over 10 months. At the same time, the three-member Election Commission continued to present a united public face at several briefings.
Thackeray Calls for Ballot Papers
Thackeray also urged opposition parties to launch a mass movement seeking a return to paper ballots instead of EVMs, while alleging that the ECI and EVMs were being used as political tools. Those claims remain allegations made by Thackeray and are not established findings in the sources reviewed.
The controversy comes as the Election Commission faces wider scrutiny over the SIR exercise and its handling of electoral rolls.
The Larger Question
The dispute has brought renewed attention to the internal functioning of the Election Commission, the role of the three commissioners and the safeguards governing electoral-roll preparation. The ECI maintains that its decisions were taken collectively, while reporting has documented repeated objections from Sandhu and Joshi over aspects of the SIR process.
Thackeray’s demand for the CEC’s resignation and an inquiry now adds another political dimension to the growing debate over the ECI’s functioning and the SIR exercise.
