New Delhi. Congress veteran and Lok Sabha opposition figure Rahul Gandhi has openly called on the Election Commission to reveal who authorised the latest adjustment to the digital voter‑registration Form 6 and what exact part Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) played in its execution.
In a post on social media, Gandhi asked for the name of the EC official who directed TCS to carry out the tweak, the corporate executive who signed off on it, and whether any undue pressure was exerted on the firm during the process. His queries emerge amid a continuing 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 statement that appeared on the online Form 6 during the SIR exercise. The new clause required prospective voters to attest whether their own name or that of a family member had ever been listed on a previous electoral roll.
The Election Commission maintains that the core statutory Form 6 was not altered; the extra question was introduced solely for the SIR operation.
EC Strips Extra Clause Where SIR Is Completed
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 websites.
In regions where the SIR exercise is still ongoing, the supplemental question remains active. Voters in areas where the revision has finished must now complete the original Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Role of Form 6 in Registering New Voters
Form 6 is the 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 channel for filing a Form 6 application.
This episode has become another flashpoint in the wider political debate over the SIR process, with opposition parties pressing for greater transparency from the Election Commission regarding any changes to roll‑revision methods or voter‑registration procedures.
