DEHRADUN: Reported objections within the Election Commission of India have brought Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi into the spotlight. Both have links to Uttarakhand, though through different paths.
According to media reports, the two commissioners formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions or orders concerning electoral rolls. The issues reportedly included adding and deleting voters’ names, restoring deleted entries, changes to Form 6 for new voter registration, and control of digital systems linked to the rolls.
The reports also said Sandhu and Joshi questioned decisions that, in some instances, were taken without their knowledge. The Commission has issued a clarification, but the reported objections have raised questions about decision-making within the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections.
Sandhu’s Uttarakhand connection stems from decades of administrative service. A 1988-batch IAS officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, he served as the state’s chief secretary from July 2021 to January 2024 and became an Election Commissioner in March 2024.
Earlier, Sandhu served as district magistrate in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar. His state-level assignments included highways and infrastructure, urban development, energy, industry and finance, giving him experience at both the district and secretariat levels.
Senior journalist Jai Singh Rawat said Sandhu’s work gave him a view of the state beyond its government offices. “He did not see Uttarakhand only through files in the secretariat,” Rawat told TNIE, referring to his district postings. He said such tested administrative experience is rare.
Rawat also recalled Sandhu’s interest in trekking and mountaineering, saying he had climbed Black Peak in Uttarkashi district, at an altitude of about 22,000 feet. Given Sandhu’s years in Uttarakhand, Rawat said, it was natural for news involving him at the national level to revive discussion of his record in the state.
Joshi’s connection to Uttarakhand is through his education in Roorkee rather than an administrative posting. A 1989-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, he joined the Election Commission in February 2025 after serving as Haryana’s chief secretary.
His career has also included senior central government positions, including secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training and the Department of Financial Services, as well as Registrar General and Census Commissioner.
The reported objections have brought both commissioners into wider public attention. In Uttarakhand, they have also highlighted two distinct connections: Sandhu’s long administrative career in the state and Joshi’s formative academic years in Roorkee.