Serious differences have emerged within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the division of administrative powers and work. According to documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, in separate letters to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan on July 29, 2026, expressed their objection to the working style of a senior official of the Commission. Both commissioners demanded appropriate action against the officer concerned. The matter relates to an order redistributing responsibilities among senior officials, which was allegedly issued without prior consultation with the Commission and the concerned officials.

Dispute over work allocation order

The letters question the role of Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg and the order issued by him. It is alleged that this order altered the allocation of duties among Senior Deputy Election Commissioners, Deputy Election Commissioners, Directors General, and equivalent officers without prior consultation or consent from the Commission. This controversy comes amid reports of disagreements within the Election Commission over decision-making and voter list issues. The Indian Express reported on September 23rd that over a ten-month period, the two Election Commissioners officially objected 14 times to measures related to the addition of new voters and deletions from the voter list. The report also raised concerns about the reliability of the voter database.

Correspondence revealed through RTI

According to documents obtained through RTI, Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, in his letter detailing the events, stated that Manish Garg was given additional charge of the Administration Department on July 28th while Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu was on leave. Within hours of assuming charge as link officer, Garg issued an order changing the work allocation. According to Sandhu, this move was made without consulting the Commission or him, nor was he informed of the proposed changes. He alleged that Garg allocated work to himself as well as his peers and senior officers. The letter also stated that similar orders were issued while Garg was serving as Deputy Election Commissioner (Administration).

Allegations of violation of the 2023 law

Dr. Sandhu stated in his letter that the concerned officials had been repeatedly instructed, both verbally and in writing, not to take such decisions without prior consultation with or approval from the Commission. Despite this, he described the changes in work allocation as contrary to established guidelines. He called this action a violation of Sections 18(1) and 18(2) of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Tenure of Office) Act, 2023, and demanded appropriate action. This correspondence, revealed through RTI, highlights the seriousness of the differences within the Commission regarding administrative decisions. However, the available data does not provide the detailed contents of Dr. Vivek Joshi's letter or any action taken by the Cabinet Secretary.