The opposition, led by Congress stalwart Rahul Gandhi, has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the recent amendments to Form 6 – the voter registration form – are a sham designed to purge voters and favour the BJP. They framed the issue as a pretext to question the party’s electoral successes in states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
In response, the BJP’s official X handle posted a point‑by‑point rebuttal on Saturday, Oct 3, 2026. The tweet declared that the mandatory declaration introduced during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had been merged into Form 6 to simplify the procedure for voters, and that the change had the consensus of all three Election Commissioners. The party insisted that the Supreme Court had already deemed the SIR proceedings legally necessary.
The Form 6 overhaul, part of the nationwide effort to purge deceased or relocated names from voter rolls, was rolled out in 20 states and union territories where the SIR had already taken place. The BJP’s narrative stresses that the changes enhance voter convenience rather than manipulate electoral outcomes.
Behind the scenes, internal discord surfaced when Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi filed 14 written objections over 10 months, citing a "clash of egos". The Commission defended that all decisions were reached by consensus and that the revisions would ultimately strengthen the credibility of the SIR process.
BJP leaders argue that the public does not feel the SIR exercise as a political weapon, unlike the NEET paper leak uproar. They warn that linking the BJP’s performance in state polls to the SIR would be a misreading of electoral trends, citing the party’s poor showing in Bihar’s Assembly election as evidence that the exercise is not a determinant of vote share.
The next phase will see the BJP continue its fact‑based campaign while the Election Commission monitors the Supreme Court’s stance on the SIR. The party’s spokesperson said the rebuttal would be updated as new evidence emerges, and the Commission will keep the public informed through official channels.