Editorial with Sujit Nair | Election Commission Split Exposed: How CEC Gyanesh Kumar Overruled 2 ECs

[00:00:00] 3 Mesa 2 Commissioners are saying we don't even know what is happening around us. Consensus! Where was the consensus? He says boss people are giving work, I am not aware of this. When there is rot, it is bound to create conflicts. Tomorrow when I am voting, do I really feel that my vote is going to the candidate that I voted for? If that trust is lost, then what is democracy? What is my vote word? Namaskar! Welcome to another episode of Editorial.

[00:00:36] There is a very important breaking story from Indian Express today. Important because it matters to every Indian. Important because I think every Indian should be informed of what they have presented.

[00:00:53] Indian Express says that 14 times in 10 months, two election commissioners objected on record to poll panel steps. Two election commissioners are Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected 14 times in 10 months. This is their story. And this story, like I told you, is very important to you.

[00:01:18] Now, this is a large story. So, I will probably take a little more time than I usually take for my editorial. So, please bear with me. But do listen to it and do listen to it till the last. So, how we will go about it is we will first of all talk about what are those 14 objections that were raised in 10 months. So, we will talk about those 14 objections in a nutshell. Then we will talk about the dates. And then we will elaborate.

[00:01:43] Understand the takeaways of those 14 objections. And how does it affect our lives. This is how we will play it. And after that, I expect you to write down your comments as you're going through this presentation. As you're hearing our editorial, please give me your comments and then we take it up from there. So, that's how the editorial is going to be. So, let's get into the first thing. That is the 10 months, 14 notes objections on record.

[00:02:09] But just before I get into the notes, just before I get into the notes, I want you to hear this chapter 4 of the Transaction of Business of Election Commission. This is the actual act. This is the actual Election Commission Act. I want you to just go through that and then we will get into the notes because then the notes will be relevant. What the Act says, what the rule says and what exactly these people are complaining. That will be very relevant to you. So, let's go through this act. Chapter 4, Article 17.

[00:02:39] The business of Election Commission shall be transacted in accordance with the provision of this act. 18.1. The Election Commission may by unanimous decision, I repeat, the Election Commission may by unanimous decision, regulate the procedure of transaction of its business and also allocation of its business amongst the Chief Election Commissioners and other Election Commissioners.

[00:03:06] So, the keyword here is unanimous decisions. Unanimous decisions. Decisions has to be unanimous, not unilateral, not bilateral. Unanimous. That's the keyword. Clause 2.18.2. All business of Election Commission shall, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously and if the Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, such matter shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority.

[00:03:35] Okay. These two points are very relevant. Please keep these two points in mind. Then we will go through the entire editorial. Please keep these two points in mind. 17, 18, 18.1, 18.2. Very important. This is Chapter 4, Transaction and Business of Election Commission. This is the act. Now, let's go to our notes.

[00:03:57] So, with that act in mind, let us start. The first note that was written by Mr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, October 20th, 2025. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu writes that letters, orders in ECI's name without Commissioners approval. There were letters and orders issued in ECI's name without the Commissioners approval. Now, look at that 18.1 and 18.2 order act. Does this match with the act? It doesn't. In Matlab, according to Sandhu, they are breaking rules.

[00:04:27] Again, April 16th, 2026, Sandhu again writes that getting to know about IT modules, portals from media. He says the IT module deployed, the portals deployed. I am not knowing it through consensus. I didn't come to know about this in meetings. I was told about this in media. Again, the break of 18.1, 18.2 laws that was designed. April 16th, Sandhu says official communication issued without Commissioners approval.

[00:04:56] 16th April, Joshi says for over a year got no agenda before minutes after Commissioners meeting. No agenda, no minutes after the Commissioners meeting. 16th April, Mr. Joshi said this. 16th April, Joshi again writes that officers on foreign trip without Commissioners approval. 24th April, Joshi again writes, reiterates no official communication without Commissioners approval. You can't do official communication without consensus.

[00:05:24] Consensus, the keyword which is part of the rule that is not being followed. This is what Joshi said April 24th. May 16th, Joshi says don't change Form 6 new voter without government approval. Sandhu agrees on May 19th. Joshi says Sandhu agrees. Remember this talk about coming collectively and it has to be a majority decision? Joshi said Sandhu agreed. But what happened? So this is May 16th. That is the 7th note.

[00:05:53] I told you there are 14 notes. May 29th, 8th note. Joshi says once electoral roll database is being centralized needs audit. Sandhu endorses it on July 13th. You can't centralize the database. Why are you centralizing the database? This is important and we are going to dwell into it for a little more later on. But please keep this in mind. Once electoral roll database is being centralized needs audit.

[00:06:23] Sandhu endorses it on July 13th. July 29th, Joshi to cabinet secretary. He writes to the cabinet secretary. Now he goes knocking doors to one of the most important bureaucratic positions in the country. And he says official redistribution of work without knowledge. Consensus. What was the consensus? He says people are given work. I am not aware of this. Now let's talk about 29th. Sandhu to cabinet secretary. Reiterates work roster issued seeks action against officials.

[00:06:53] 30th July Joshi and Sandhu strikes down new allocation orders. 12th August. Sandhu writes who authorized appeals on election commission behalves where West Bengal's criminal. Who authorized this West Bengal criminal appeals? This is what happens August 12th. August 13th. Form 6 changes is unauthorized and illegal. Form 6 is where you get new voters. Where you apply as new voters. That is form 6. He says the changes are unauthorized and illegal. August 14th.

[00:07:22] Field officers can't access ECI net systems. DG IT has no power to restrict. These were letters sent. Very serious letters. Very serious objections. Very serious objections. Especially the fact that who allowed the appeals to be filed in West Bengal? Who allowed the appeals to be filed in West Bengal? The election commission saying that we don't know. We don't know. The election commission is saying that. And mind you again I go back to chapter 4.

[00:07:53] Clause 17 and 18. Where the decisions cannot be unanimous. The decisions cannot be unilateral. It has to be unanimous. And if it is not unanimous. It's against the law. And that's precisely what this letter says. This is what the 14 notes are in 10 months. Now let us run to the takeaways. Now after these notes. Let us talk about the key takeaways. Okay I am going to read all this. So that it's very clear. So wherever you find it confusing.

[00:08:23] Please pause. Please rewind. And please hear it again. This is very very important information. That's precisely why I am asking you to do all of this. So let's go to key takeaways. Now the first key takeaway. Two out of three election commissioners have lost 14 formal objections against poll panel decisions led by Chief Ganesh Kumar in 10 months. Which is what I took you through last two minutes.

[00:08:49] Commissioners Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi says key decisions were made without their knowledge and approval. This too I have basically proven to you what the rule was and what exactly they have written. Three the internal rift focuses on special intensive revision affecting 13 crore voter names currently. 13 crore voters were deleted. This entire focus is on that special intensive revision.

[00:09:17] Now see end of the day you see in management there is a very simple logic. When there is rot it is bound to create conflicts. When there is rot in the system, when there is rot in a program, when there is rot in some management decision, it is bound to reflect. It is bound to create conflict. And when that rot comes to the surface, it is very clear that it then not only damages that particular program, it starts damaging that institution.

[00:09:47] And that is precisely what is happening in election commission. We spoke about this just yesterday. I am attaching my editorial of yesterday. Please go through that. We just spoke about it yesterday. And that is exactly what is being reiterated here. So here goes. Point four. Election challenged unauthorized illegal changes in form 6 for new voters registration. I took you through that. Point five.

[00:10:16] Concerns raised over gradual centralization of electoral roll database via IT division. Now electoral roll database are no longer state subject. It has been centralized. Why is your name as a voter, if at all it is in the voting database, why is your name centralized? Why does center want to control your database? What is the big picture? What is the big story? Why is such a thing happening? Please think about it.

[00:10:47] Because then now, your conclusions could be 100. Why would somebody want to control the database? It should be as decentralized as possible so that the changes, it is a dynamic process, isn't it? The voter database. There is addition and deletion that happens. If you centralize it, is it going to be easing dynamism or is it going to be making it more rigid? Number one. Number two is why is somebody trying to control the database? What is the objective behind it?

[00:11:14] So that's a very valid point that needs to be thought about. Centralized software now overrides ground level electoral registration officers. Decisions blocking eligible voters. Central software is blocking eligible voters. Now the local officer has no power. It is being more and more centralized. Again, I connect to my last question. Again, I connect to my last question.

[00:11:38] Somebody wants to keep that power off to decide who is a voter and who is not with himself, with that central power. And that's the objection that these commissioners raised. Point number seven. Centralizing digital systems erode election commissioners traditional decentralized safeguard against rigging. You see, again and again and again, the objection is about centralization. Some power in the center controlling it. Some power in the center controlling it.

[00:12:08] And these commissioners are constantly trying to say that if you centralize it, it is not going to help. It is going to harm. It is going to harm. It may harm the safeguard process of rigging of votes. And officials question the legal authority of IT director general to restrict access for statutory officers. The IT director decides which statutory officer should have access to the data or not. What is the IT director doing here? What has he got to do with election commission?

[00:12:37] Point number nine. Software issues in Goa led to disenfranchisement of 97 eligible voters despite Supreme Court's order. Tenth, the Rift highlights tension over 2023 Act mandate that EC election commission's business be transacted unanimously. Which is exactly what I read and showed you.

[00:12:59] Eleven, objection over copied CEC Ganesh Kumar signaling an unprecedented constitutional authority Rift. Twelfth, unlike past individual dissent, the Rift sees the commission's majority sidelined from decisions. See, in the past, you had different commissioners who objected, who raised their dissent. But that was one commissioner. Here, it is the majority.

[00:13:27] Three commissioners are saying we don't even know what is happening around us. That's the difference. That's the distinction at this time. And that's what you need to know. You see, again I tell you, creating SIR just before a state election, that to a very crucial state election, that to a very crucial state election, that one party desperately wanted to win. The ruling party desperately wanted to win.

[00:13:51] Changing the rules of the game, getting SIR involved, 38 lakh voters being packed off, 98 lakh voters being kind of deleted. Same is the case with Bihar. All of this happens. All of this happens. Happens that overnight. Why? Why? And, of course, the election commission continuously, continuously speaks this language. The election commissioners are saying,

[00:14:48] You see, one of the things I have realized in my advertising life, a brand that speaks more about, you know, we are the most robust, that brand is never robust. The brand that speaks we are the most honest, that brand is never honest. The brand that speaks that, you know, we are the clearest is never clearest. That I have learned in my advertising career, but somewhere down the line, that doesn't mean anything here. I'm just giving you a point of view. But the point is, end of the day, where is the trust in election commission? Tomorrow, when I'm voting,

[00:15:17] do I really feel that my vote is going to the candidate that I voted for? If that trust is lost, then what is democracy? What is my worth? Anyway, nothing is worth anything in this country anymore. Because even if I vote for a candidate, he defects into the party that I voted against. That also happens today. But all the same, have it completely deteriorated as a democracy? And mind you, look at the irony. This is the same country where the ECA pronounced that,

[00:15:45] you know, the whole world is praising our democratic process and our election process. This is our election process. This is reality. So, just before I ended my editorial, my team gives me the press note released by the election commission. I just went through the press note, which is given by the election commission. There are eight points that they have raised. I'm going to actually play that press note in front of you. I'm going to put that up in the screen. You please pause this video and read the press note if you so desire.

[00:16:16] The sum and substance of this press note is where the election commission, this is what we call as vanilla, at least I call as vanilla press note. Press note which doesn't specifically answer any questions, but try to answer everything. The only point that I think that needs to be, that I want to kind of share with you is where they say that, you see, end of the day, all our decisions are unanimous. It is, we take it with everybody, taking everybody's consent and that is how we take decisions. It's all unanimous decisions. We have, there are obviously differences,

[00:16:45] that differences we sort it out, but end of the day, decisions are unanimous. This is what the long and short of this press release is, but all the same, like I said, it is right there on your screen. Please read through it and also you make up your mind. You decide what is right, what is wrong. Indian Express is going to come with part two of this particular story, which again, I'm going to take, I'm going to come in front of you with. So till then, that's tomorrow at 10. Namaskar.