Documents released under the Right to Information law show that Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi separately approached Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan on 29 July, 2026. Their letters raised objections to the functioning of a senior Election Commission officer and sought appropriate action.

The correspondence concerns Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg and an order that altered the distribution of responsibilities among senior officials. Sandhu and Joshi alleged that the changes were made without prior consultation with the Commission or the officials concerned.

What the RTI documents show

Sandhu's letter linked the dispute to Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu's leave. On 28 July, Garg was given additional responsibility for the administration department while serving as the link officer.

Within hours of taking on that role, Garg issued an order changing the allocation of work among senior deputy election commissioners, deputy election commissioners, director generals and officials of equivalent rank.

Sandhu objected that the order had been issued without discussion with the Commission or with him. He also alleged that Garg assigned responsibilities to himself and to officers of equal or higher rank.

The letter further stated that similar orders had been issued earlier, when Garg was serving as Deputy Election Commissioner for administration. Sandhu said officials had repeatedly been instructed, both orally and in writing, not to take such steps without prior discussion or approval from the Commission.

Sandhu alleged that the action breached Sections 18(1) and 18(2) of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. He asked the Cabinet Secretary to take appropriate action.

The material describes the allegations made by the commissioners. It does not establish a finding against Garg or record a court ruling on the matter.

Wider questions about disagreements

The letters emerged amid broader questions about differences within the Election Commission. The Indian Express reported on 23 September that the two commissioners had officially objected 14 times over 10 months to steps involving the addition of new voters and the removal of names from electoral rolls.

According to the same account, they also raised concerns with the Cabinet Secretary about the reliability of the voter database. Those concerns provide wider context for the newly disclosed correspondence, although the RTI material discussed here focuses on work allocation and administrative authority.

For readers, the immediate significance is that the disagreement was recorded in separate letters to the Cabinet Secretary rather than only through an internal exchange. The documents also identify the specific administrative order that triggered the complaints and the legal provisions cited by Sandhu.

Conclusion

The RTI-released correspondence records separate complaints by Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi about an order issued by Manish Garg, with Sandhu alleging that the process breached Sections 18(1) and 18(2) of the 2023 Act and seeking appropriate action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When did the two election commissioners write to the Cabinet Secretary?

They wrote separate letters on 29 July, 2026.

Q. Who received the letters?

The letters were addressed to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan.

Q. Which officer was the subject of the complaints?

The complaints concerned Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg.

Q. What triggered the correspondence?

The issue was an order changing the distribution of work among senior Election Commission officials.

Q. What happened on 28 July?

Garg was given additional responsibility for the administration department during Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu's leave.

Q. What legal provisions did Sandhu cite?

He cited Sections 18(1) and 18(2) of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

Q. What wider concerns had the commissioners raised?

They had objected to steps involving voter additions and deletions and raised concerns about the reliability of the voter database.