Election Commission Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Claim on Form 6 Changes, Calls It Misleading

The Election Commission of India has rejected Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had changed Form 6 “illegally and unilaterally” during the electoral-roll revision exercise in Bihar.

In a fact-check issued on October 5, 2026, the Election Commission described the claim as misleading and clarified that Form 6 itself was not modified. Instead, an additional declaration was introduced to accompany Form 6 as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar.

The Election Commission said its June 24, 2025 order directing the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar had received the unanimous approval of the Commission. The Supreme Court subsequently examined the legality of the Bihar SIR in its May 27, 2026 judgment.

The clarification followed observations by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant concerning a reference to a modified Form 6. Rahul Gandhi subsequently alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had altered the form without proper approval. The Election Commission said this interpretation was incorrect because the document in question was a separate declaration accompanying Form 6, rather than a modification of the statutory Form 6 itself.

Form 6 is the application used by eligible citizens to seek inclusion in the electoral roll. During the Bihar SIR process, applicants were required to submit the prescribed declaration along with Form 6 in circumstances covered by the SIR framework. The Election Commission has maintained that the additional declaration was part of the SIR documentation and did not replace or amend Form 6 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The Election Commission also pointed to its September 26, 2026 press note, saying that Rahul Gandhi's reference to the document did not take into account the portion stating that the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The controversy is part of the wider political and legal debate surrounding the Bihar SIR and the preparation of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court's May 27, 2026 judgment examined the Election Commission's authority to conduct the SIR, the purpose and proportionality of the exercise, the procedure followed under election law and the Commission's role in verifying eligibility for inclusion in electoral rolls.

The Election Commission's latest clarification therefore centres on an important procedural distinction: the poll panel says Form 6 was not changed, while a separate declaration was introduced alongside it for the SIR exercise.

The issue remains politically significant because electoral-roll revision directly concerns voter registration and inclusion. The continuing debate between the Congress and the Election Commission reflects wider questions about the transparency, procedure and legal framework governing electoral-roll revisions.