http://chroniclecraze.blogspot.com/
The Allegations Against Seema Khanna
According to Moitra's complaint, the centralised software system — known as ECINet — curtailed the statutory powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to add, delete, and correct names in the electoral rolls . She alleged that the system enabled changes to voter data without adequate involvement of local election officials, effectively sidelining the very officials legally responsible for maintaining accurate voter lists .
Speaking to reporters earlier, Moitra had specifically named Khanna, stating: "Seema Khanna, who was DG IT, along with Gyanesh Kumar, played with the software from the backend to manipulate the voter list while keeping EROs and block-level officials in the dark. This is a very serious charge" .
According to Moitra's complaint, the centralised software system — known as ECINet — curtailed the statutory powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to add, delete, and correct names in the electoral rolls . She alleged that the system enabled changes to voter data without adequate involvement of local election officials, effectively sidelining the very officials legally responsible for maintaining accurate voter lists .
Speaking to reporters earlier, Moitra had specifically named Khanna, stating: "Seema Khanna, who was DG IT, along with Gyanesh Kumar, played with the software from the backend to manipulate the voter list while keeping EROs and block-level officials in the dark. This is a very serious charge" .
What Prompted the Complaint
The complaint comes in the wake of a damning investigative report by The Indian Express, which revealed that two Election Commissioners — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — had raised at least 14 formal objections over a 10-month period regarding key decisions made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar . These objections covered critical issues including the addition and deletion of voters, changes to Form 6, access to the electoral database, and the growing centralisation of the commission's IT systems .
Particularly concerning, according to the report, was that Sandhu and Joshi reportedly learned about new IT modules and portals only after they had already been built . In one instance, Joshi raised concerns that the electoral roll database was becoming increasingly centralised, with fewer people able to see how it was managed. He proposed an internal audit, which Sandhu supported — but by Sandhu's own account, he was never informed what happened to that proposal .
The complaint comes in the wake of a damning investigative report by The Indian Express, which revealed that two Election Commissioners — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — had raised at least 14 formal objections over a 10-month period regarding key decisions made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar . These objections covered critical issues including the addition and deletion of voters, changes to Form 6, access to the electoral database, and the growing centralisation of the commission's IT systems .
Particularly concerning, according to the report, was that Sandhu and Joshi reportedly learned about new IT modules and portals only after they had already been built . In one instance, Joshi raised concerns that the electoral roll database was becoming increasingly centralised, with fewer people able to see how it was managed. He proposed an internal audit, which Sandhu supported — but by Sandhu's own account, he was never informed what happened to that proposal .
The Goa Case: 97 Voters Left Out
Moitra's complaint specifically referenced a reported case in Goa, where 97 voters who had been found eligible by EROs allegedly remained excluded from the final electoral roll published in February 2026 . According to reports, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer sent eight communications between February 11 and 17 seeking a facility to reverse deletion decisions and allow the inclusion of these names — but the final roll published on February 21 did not include them .
The Election Commission has since claimed that 81 of the 97 eligible voters have submitted Form 6 for re-inclusion, with Booth Level Officers conducting house-to-house visits to rectify the lapses . However, the incident has become emblematic of the broader concerns about the centralised system's impact on local decision-making.
Moitra's complaint specifically referenced a reported case in Goa, where 97 voters who had been found eligible by EROs allegedly remained excluded from the final electoral roll published in February 2026 . According to reports, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer sent eight communications between February 11 and 17 seeking a facility to reverse deletion decisions and allow the inclusion of these names — but the final roll published on February 21 did not include them .
The Election Commission has since claimed that 81 of the 97 eligible voters have submitted Form 6 for re-inclusion, with Booth Level Officers conducting house-to-house visits to rectify the lapses . However, the incident has become emblematic of the broader concerns about the centralised system's impact on local decision-making.
The Form 6 Controversy
Beyond the software centralisation, Moitra's complaint also touches upon changes made to Form 6 — the application used by first-time voters seeking registration. According to the complaint, a new question was added asking applicants whether they or their parents or grandparents were linked to the previous SIR . Moitra alleged that this change was pushed through without amending the relevant rules, despite written warnings from Sandhu and Joshi that such changes were legally unauthorised .
"Mr Sandhu and Mr Joshi dissented and said that only by amending the rules could you do this; you cannot simply add a question," Moitra stated . She further warned: "Today, all over India, 13 crore voters have been deleted. What will happen to their children? What will happen to their children when they turn 18? They cannot get on the rolls either" .
Beyond the software centralisation, Moitra's complaint also touches upon changes made to Form 6 — the application used by first-time voters seeking registration. According to the complaint, a new question was added asking applicants whether they or their parents or grandparents were linked to the previous SIR . Moitra alleged that this change was pushed through without amending the relevant rules, despite written warnings from Sandhu and Joshi that such changes were legally unauthorised .
"Mr Sandhu and Mr Joshi dissented and said that only by amending the rules could you do this; you cannot simply add a question," Moitra stated . She further warned: "Today, all over India, 13 crore voters have been deleted. What will happen to their children? What will happen to their children when they turn 18? They cannot get on the rolls either" .
The Police Response
After filing the complaint, Moitra took to social media to update the public on the police's response. She stated that the Station House Officer (SHO) had sought time until October 5 to examine whether a case was made out for the registration of an FIR . Moitra said she would return to the police station on October 6 to follow up on the matter .
"Filed a complaint to register FIR against Seema Khanna DG IT @ECISVEEP at Parliament Street PS today. SHO asked for time till 5th to see if case made out for FIR. Told him I will be back on 6th to follow up," Moitra posted on X .
After filing the complaint, Moitra took to social media to update the public on the police's response. She stated that the Station House Officer (SHO) had sought time until October 5 to examine whether a case was made out for the registration of an FIR . Moitra said she would return to the police station on October 6 to follow up on the matter .
"Filed a complaint to register FIR against Seema Khanna DG IT @ECISVEEP at Parliament Street PS today. SHO asked for time till 5th to see if case made out for FIR. Told him I will be back on 6th to follow up," Moitra posted on X .
Broader Political Context
This development comes just days after Moitra filed a separate complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process . In that complaint, she accused Kumar of "criminal conduct" and alleged that decisions were being taken without the consent of the other two Election Commissioners .
The TMC MP has been at the forefront of opposition attacks on the Election Commission's handling of the SIR exercise, which has affected more than 13 crore names across 30 states and union territories at the draft stage . Opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, and AAP, have demanded Kumar's removal and fresh elections based on the old electoral rolls .
The Election Commission has maintained that written notes, observations, and internal checks are part of normal institutional deliberations, and that its official orders and decisions have full legal sanction . The ECI has also announced a review of its voter-roll software following the controversy, with a committee including a senior election official and an independent technology expert examining whether the system complies with legal requirements .
This development comes just days after Moitra filed a separate complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process . In that complaint, she accused Kumar of "criminal conduct" and alleged that decisions were being taken without the consent of the other two Election Commissioners .
The TMC MP has been at the forefront of opposition attacks on the Election Commission's handling of the SIR exercise, which has affected more than 13 crore names across 30 states and union territories at the draft stage . Opposition parties, including the Congress, Left, and AAP, have demanded Kumar's removal and fresh elections based on the old electoral rolls .
The Election Commission has maintained that written notes, observations, and internal checks are part of normal institutional deliberations, and that its official orders and decisions have full legal sanction . The ECI has also announced a review of its voter-roll software following the controversy, with a committee including a senior election official and an independent technology expert examining whether the system complies with legal requirements .
Why This Matters
At its core, this dispute is about the integrity of India's electoral process. The Election Commission is in the middle of a massive revision of electoral rolls that has already affected more than 13 crore names . If a name is wrongly added or removed during this exercise, the consequences are severe — a person who is otherwise fully eligible to vote may simply not appear on the list on election day, with no appeal process available to someone who doesn't even know they've been dropped .
When the officials who are supposed to approve and oversee this exercise say they don't have full visibility into how it's being run, that's not a small administrative complaint — it goes to the heart of democratic accountability . The fact that the system's centralisation has left local EROs without the tools to correct errors — as the Goa case allegedly demonstrates — raises serious questions about whether the current digital infrastructure is serving voters or undermining them.
As Mahua Moitra's complaint now sits with Delhi Police, the coming days will reveal whether the SHO determines that sufficient grounds exist for an FIR. Either way, the broader debate over the centralisation of India's electoral machinery and the concentration of power in fewer hands is far from over.
At its core, this dispute is about the integrity of India's electoral process. The Election Commission is in the middle of a massive revision of electoral rolls that has already affected more than 13 crore names . If a name is wrongly added or removed during this exercise, the consequences are severe — a person who is otherwise fully eligible to vote may simply not appear on the list on election day, with no appeal process available to someone who doesn't even know they've been dropped .
When the officials who are supposed to approve and oversee this exercise say they don't have full visibility into how it's being run, that's not a small administrative complaint — it goes to the heart of democratic accountability . The fact that the system's centralisation has left local EROs without the tools to correct errors — as the Goa case allegedly demonstrates — raises serious questions about whether the current digital infrastructure is serving voters or undermining them.
As Mahua Moitra's complaint now sits with Delhi Police, the coming days will reveal whether the SHO determines that sufficient grounds exist for an FIR. Either way, the broader debate over the centralisation of India's electoral machinery and the concentration of power in fewer hands is far from over.
