Two Election Commissioners directly contacted the Cabinet Secretary in July, bypassing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The move followed a work-allocation order that was later retracted. While the ECI clarified the letters concerned personnel matters, the incident highlights rare internal friction within the electoral body.
Internal workings of the Election Commission of India (ECI) have come into focus following reports of friction between its members. On July 29, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi sent correspondence directly to the Cabinet Secretary. This action deviated from standard administrative hierarchy, as it bypassed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Cabinet Secretariat confirmed that it received and processed these documents between July 30 and August 5. The communication followed a July 28 work-allocation order that created administrative disagreement. According to reports, the commissioners were unhappy with the redistribution of duties, specifically regarding the oversight of IT infrastructure used for electoral rolls. Concerns were raised that the order was issued without sufficient consultation and represented a departure from established protocols.
In a clarification issued on September 26, the Election Commission stated that the correspondence was limited to the operational conduct of an officer on deputation. The ECI maintained that the matter did not involve broader policy or technology division concerns and confirmed that the disputed work-allocation orders were never implemented.
While the correspondence is officially acknowledged, the specific contents remain shielded from public view, requiring an administrative fee through the RTI process for access. This event remains a notable point of discussion because institutional stability and clear hierarchy are vital for the functioning of apex regulatory bodies. Investors and public observers typically monitor such developments as they can reflect on the internal governance and decision-making processes of key institutions.