ECI Responds to Controversies Over Form-6, ECI-Net Architecture,...

By GT24x7 Reporter · 25 September 2026 · GlobalToday24x7

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a comprehensive statement clarifying its administrative procedures following allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties regarding electoral roll management. The dispute centers on modifications to Form-6 application protocols, the centralized architecture of the poll panel's digital portal ECI-Net, and software-related exclusions involving 97 voters in Goa during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The clarifications follow intense political friction over claims that ground-level electoral authority was compromised and that software constraints led to the arbitrary deletion or non-inclusion of eligible citizens across multiple states.

Clarification on Form-6 Modifications and the Declaration Form

Responding to allegations that Form-6—the statutory application form used by citizens to seek inclusion in electoral rolls—was altered without proper regulatory amendments, the Election Commission stated that the basic structure of the form remains unchanged. According to the ECI, an additional declaration form (Annexure D) was introduced as a supplementary requirement under the Special Intensive Revision framework.

The poll panel emphasized that the inclusion of the declaration form was carried out unanimously with the full approval of all three Election Commissioners under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The ECI clarified that the additional declaration actually simplifies the process for applicants, as those providing the declaration are not required to produce additional supporting documents. Officials noted that the Supreme Court of India upheld the validity of the declaration requirement in its May 27, 2026 order regarding voter verification protocols.

Decentralized Architecture and Cybersecurity of ECI-Net

Addressing concerns raised over ECI-Net—the poll body's digital platform managing voter databases—the Commission rejected claims that central authorities in Delhi overrides local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The ECI affirmed that ECI-Net functions as a decentralized platform specifically designed to operate in accordance with statutory guidelines laid down under the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951.

The Commission explained that field personnel, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), possess unique credentials to execute their statutory duties on the system. The ECI emphasized that no unauthorized external user or central official can override an ERO’s statutory entry. Furthermore, the poll panel highlighted that robust cybersecurity infrastructure protects the system from external vulnerabilities, noting that security protocols routinely neutralize millions of automated hacking attempts during major election events.

Status of Goa’s 97 Omitted Voters and Local CEO Action

Regarding the widely cited case of 97 eligible voters in Goa whose names were missing from the final electoral roll published in February 2026 due to technical software constraints, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Goa released a separate update. The local CEO office clarified that the omission occurred due to a technical processing delay rather than systemic exclusion.

The CEO office confirmed that Booth Level Officers conducted house-to-house physical verifications to assist the affected individuals in completing Form-6 applications. Official records indicate that a significant number of these 97 voters have already been successfully restored to the electoral roll, while the remaining cases are under active administrative review. Reaffirming its institutional commitment, the Election Commission stated that no eligible citizen will be left off the final voter list once verification protocols are completed.