Sandhu and Joshi’s letters, sent on July 29 2026, marked an unprecedented step by two senior Election Commissioners in lifting the veil on an internal dispute within the Election Commission of India. The correspondence, obtained through an RTI request, cites Maneesh Garg’s sudden re‑allocation of duties—an act he executed the day after assuming the Administration Division post on July 28, 2026.
In the first letter, Sandhu accuses Garg of assigning himself and other senior officers to the Administration Division without consulting the Commission or the affected staff. He cites repeated oral and written instructions to refrain from such unilateral orders and points to Sections 18(1) and 18(2) of the 2023 Act as breached, demanding “appropriate action.”
Joshi’s separate note echoes Sandhu’s concerns, adding that he was denied access to the file documenting the order and that the Commission’s formal communication was not consulted. “I was denied the relevant file when I sought it from the Administration Division,” Joshi wrote, underscoring the same violation of the 2023 Act.
Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan’s response, issued on August 5 2026, acknowledged both letters but cautioned against treating them as a collective communication from the Commission. The Secretary’s note warned that early intervention could amount to interference in a constitutional body’s functioning and advised forwarding the letters to the Department of Personnel and Training, the Establishment Officer, and the Chief Election Commissioner’s office.
While the acknowledgment was swift, the RTI disclosure does not reveal whether an inquiry has been initiated or any disciplinary action taken against Garg. The matter has now been placed on record for future decision‑making, according to the Cabinet Secretary’s note, and the ECI’s internal processes will determine whether a formal investigation follows.
In the coming weeks, the Commission will likely convene to assess the validity of the complaints, and the Cabinet Secretariat may decide whether to mandate a review of Garg’s work‑allocation order under the 2023 Act. The outcome will set a precedent for how internal disputes within the ECI are handled in the future.