SIR Row: Major Shake-Up in Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar Oversees Transfer of 20 CEOs

New Delhi: Political tussles continue in the country regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Meanwhile, the continuous changes in the administrative structure of the Election Commission have also come into the centre of discussion. According to reports, around 18 to 20 Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and union territories were transferred between February 2025 and October 2026. This period corresponds to the tenure of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who took charge on February 19, 2025. The large-scale reshuffle of officials in such a short period of time has drawn attention to the administrative system of the Election Commission.

How many officers were transferred in the previous tenures?

According to data, transfers of officers have been taking place in the Election Commission in the past as well, but in recent times their speed has become a topic of discussion. During the tenure of former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar from May 2022 to February 2025, about 23 Chief Electoral Officers were transferred. At the same time, during the tenure of Sunil Arora and Sushil Chandra, 29 CEOs were changed in about 41 months. The report also states that transfer of officials has been a part of the normal process due to administrative needs during the Lok Sabha elections. However, continuous changes in 2025 and 2026 have brought this issue back into focus.

Why were the officers removed before three years?

Maintaining administrative continuity in the post of Chief Electoral Officer is considered important. According to the report, the Commission generally follows the tradition of retaining officers for about three years. Despite this, in the recent reshuffle there were at least seven officers whose tenure did not even complete two years. There were changes in eight to nine states and union territories in the year 2025, while at least 10 more transfers were reported in 2026. There may be different administrative reasons behind these changes, but it would not be appropriate to link all the appointments with the same reason.

In which states the transfers took place?

According to the report, the process of transfers from Bihar started in 2025. In April, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal took over as the Chief Electoral Officer of the state in place of HR Srinivas. Changes took place in Nagaland and Chhattisgarh in May, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana in June and Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in July. New officers were appointed in Manipur and Ladakh in August. At the end of the year, an order was issued to transfer the CEO of Lakshadweep.

Why did three officers come into limelight in Lakshadweep within a year?

In Lakshadweep, the case of three officers assuming the post of CEO between November 2025 and October 2026 was special. After Gaurav Singh Rajawat, Avnish Kumar took the responsibility in January 2026. After this, AS Shivakumar got this responsibility. On the official website of the Election Commission, Shivkumar has been described as the acting Chief Electoral Officer of Lakshadweep.

Were there changes in the Election Commission headquarters also?

The impact of transfers was not limited to the states only. According to the report, many changes also took place at the level of Deputy Election Commissioners in the Election House. Bhanu Prakash Yeturu was appointed in May 2025 and Pawan Kumar Sharma was appointed in September. After Sanjay Kumar was sent back to his parent cadre in August 2026, information about the appointment of Prakash Rajpurohit came to light in October.

These changes during the SIR have brought the administrative structure of the Election Commission under discussion. However, it is necessary to look at the relevant orders and official clarifications to draw conclusions on the impact of the transfers or the reasons behind them.