On July 29, two of India’s three Election Commissioners took an unusual step by writing not to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, but to the Cabinet Secretary.
A Right to Information (RTI) response obtained exclusively by India Today sheds light on what happened to the letters within Seva Teerth, the complex that houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat.
Dated October 19, the response was issued following an RTI application submitted on September 24. It confirms that letters written by Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, both dated July 29, were received by the Cabinet Secretariat.
THE PAPER TRAIL
The letters were registered on July 30. By August 5, the Cabinet Secretary had forwarded them to officials in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the CEC’s office.
However, the contents of the correspondence have not been made public.
The Secretariat has withheld all 14 pages of documents, including the Commissioners’ 10-page letters, two pages of responses and two pages of file notings, until a fee of Rs 28 is paid.
WHY DID THE ELECTION COMMISSIONERS WRITE?
The correspondence followed a work-allocation order issued on July 28. According to a newspaper report, the two Commissioners objected to the order and wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, arguing that it violated established rules. The revised allocation was later withdrawn.
The report stated that the changes had effectively removed an oversight layer governing the IT infrastructure used for electoral rolls. It also said the Commissioners had indicated that the changes were made without their knowledge.
The newspaper described the decision as “a radical departure from the norm”.
Another newspaper, citing a person familiar with the matter, had previously reported that the letter concerned a senior Deputy Election Commissioner rather than CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission presented its position in a press release issued on September 26.
It said the letter to the Cabinet Secretary did not concern any policy issue involving the Commission or its IT division. Instead, it related to the work of an officer deputed to the ECI. The Commission added that the work redistribution orders issued by the officer were never implemented following objections from the two Commissioners. It also maintained that the Deputy Election Commissioner’s oversight of the IT division had not actually been withdrawn.
WHAT THE RTI ESTABLISHES
The RTI response does not clarify the precise issue raised in the letters because their contents remain undisclosed. However, amid a controversy driven largely by leaks and press statements, it provides the first official documentary confirmation that the letters exist, when they were received and how the Cabinet Secretary’s response was routed.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
India Today has said it will pay the Rs 28 fee to obtain the documents. The report will be updated once the letters and the Cabinet Secretary’s response become available, providing further details about the Commissioners’ concerns and the action taken.
The Cabinet Secretariat serves as the Government of India’s highest administrative body and is located at Seva Teerth alongside the PMO and the National Security Council Secretariat.
The Rs 28 fee can be paid through a demand draft, banker’s cheque, Indian postal order or cash, provided an official acknowledgement is issued. The Secretariat does not currently provide a digital payment facility for this charge.
