Arunachal CM Pema Khandu says ECI record shows SIR was collective decision

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday, September 28, said the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) records show that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a collective decision of the poll panel and not an individual decision.

Khandu’s remarks came in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s repeated questions over whether the SIR exercise was ordered unilaterally.

In a post on X, Khandu cited the ECI’s June 24, 2025 order, saying it was issued with the “unanimous approval of the Commission.”

“Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly questioned whether the SIR was a unilateral decision. The Election Commission's own record now provides a clear institutional response,” Khandu said.

He said the official record showed that the SIR was a decision of the Commission and not that of an individual.

Khandu also pointed to subsequent schedules related to the SIR exercise, saying these too received unanimous approval from the Commission.

The issue has become a point of political contention between the Congress and the ruling BJP, with the opposition questioning the electoral-roll revision process and the functioning of the poll panel.

The controversy intensified after Gandhi questioned the conduct of the ECI and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while alleging irregularities in the electoral process.

The ECI has rejected the allegations and maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken with the approval of the full Commission. It has also said that views expressed during internal deliberations did not constitute separate or unilateral decisions.

Khandu said the ECI’s clarification and official records established the institutional position on how the SIR decision was taken.