New Delhi. Prominent Congress figure and Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has openly urged the Election Commission to name the officials who sanctioned the latest alteration to the online voter‑registration Form 6 and to detail the exact part played by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in its execution.
In a post that quickly went viral on social media, Gandhi asked for the identity of the EC officer who directed TCS to make the amendment, the senior TCS executive who gave the final sign‑off, and whether any undue pressure was exerted on the firm during the process. His inquiries emerge against the backdrop of a simmering clash between the Election Commission and opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
SIR‑Specific Declaration Inserted into Form 6
The controversy centres on an additional clause that appeared on the digital Form 6 while the SIR exercise was underway. The new statement required prospective voters to confirm whether their own name—or that of a close family member—had ever been recorded on a previous electoral roll.
The Election Commission maintains that the core statutory Form 6 was not altered; the extra question was introduced solely to serve the needs of the SIR process.
EC Strips Extra Clause Where SIR Is Concluded
After the roll‑revision concluded in several states and Union territories, the Commission removed the SIR‑specific declaration from the online Form 6 available on the ECINET portal and on the respective Chief Electoral Officer sites.
In regions where the SIR exercise is still ongoing, the supplemental question continues to appear. Voters in jurisdictions where the revision has finished are now required to complete the original Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Why Form 6 Matters in New Voter Registration
Form 6 is the official instrument through which eligible citizens apply to have their names entered onto the electoral roll. The Election Commission’s Citizen Service Portal also provides an online avenue for filing a Form 6 application.
This episode has become yet another flashpoint in the broader political debate surrounding the SIR operation, with opposition parties pressing for greater transparency from the Election Commission regarding any tweaks to roll‑revision procedures or voter‑registration protocols.
