Former SC Judge Dhulia: Citizenship Not ECI's Job Amid Mounting Internal Dissent

Former Supreme Court judge Sudhanshu Dhulia has emphatically stated that determining citizenship is beyond the purview of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a critical clarification that comes as the poll body grapples with unprecedented internal dissent. Justice Dhulia, who retired in August 2025, underscored that the Supreme Court has consistently held this position, even referencing a July 2025 hearing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) where his bench permitted Aadhaar and voter identity cards for electoral roll updates. This authoritative pronouncement arrives amidst explosive reports of two Election Commissioner, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objecting a staggering 14 times in 10 months to decisions made by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Their concerns span critical areas including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the functioning of ECI IT systems, and alleged 'unauthorized and illegal' changes to Form 6, the voter registration form. While the ECI asserts that all major decisions had unanimous approval and that internal disagreements are normal, the Opposition, led by the Congress, has seized on these revelations, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar resignation and accusing him of exceeding constitutional powers, especially regarding citizenship verification during the SIR. The Supreme Court had previously clarified in May 2026 that while the ECI can conduct a limited inquiry into citizenship for electoral roll inclusion, it cannot make a conclusive determination, which remains the domain of the Central Government under the Citizenship Act, 1955. With the ECI recently announcing nine new measures to address some of the reported concerns, including formalizing meeting agendas and minutes, all eyes are on how this internal turmoil will impact the integrity and public trust in India's upcoming electoral processes and whether further judicial intervention will be sought to delineate the ECI precise constitutional boundaries.