On Monday, former Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale posted on X that he could not locate a voter entry for Gyanesh Kumar, son of Subodh Kumar, in the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rolls of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, or Delhi, prompting questions about the CEC’s citizenship status.
In response, the CEC’s office clarified that Kumar’s name appears on the Delhi draft SIR as "Gyanesh Kumar, son of Subodh Kumar", which is linked to his father’s entry in the last SIR of Uttar Pradesh, where Subodh Kumar is listed as a resident.
The office stated that because of this mapping, there is no "logical discrepancy" or anomaly in Kumar’s voter record, and that he has not received any notice for being an unmapped voter.
The controversy comes amid the Election Commission’s current rollout of Delhi’s SIR, during which it has issued notices to voters whose details do not match previous rolls, aiming to cleanse the roll ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Gokhale’s post has sparked debate among Delhi’s political circles, with some accusing the CEC of attempting to obscure his voter status, while others argue the mapping process is standard practice.
The Commission has yet to announce any formal inquiry into the matter, but the case will be examined as part of the ongoing audit of the Delhi SIR, with a final report due by the end of next month.