Supreme Court distances itself from Form 6 changes as Congress targets Chief Election Commissioner

The Supreme Court has made clear that it did not approve changes made to the Election Commission's Form 6, the document used for voter registration, distancing the judiciary from alterations that opposition parties have attributed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar acting unilaterally.

Congress has seized on the clarification to intensify its attack on the Election Commission, with party leader Rahul Gandhi directing criticism personally at Gyanesh Kumar over what the party characterises as unilateral decisions that undermine the integrity of the electoral process. The party launched protests demanding accountability from the poll body.

The controversy has widened amid broader concerns about voter roll management. The Bombay High Court separately noted that citizens faced difficulties it described as a 'catch-22' situation, with some voters finding their Form 8 applications for address changes rejected because of constraints within the electoral software and the ERONET system, after their identity records had already been removed.

Opposition grouping INDIA bloc leaders were expected to raise related concerns around the Special Intensive Revision process directly with President Murmu. The Election Commission has responded to the allegations, though the dispute over who authorised the Form 6 modifications and on what basis continues to fuel political tensions ahead of any forthcoming electoral contests.