ECI Clarifies No Change In Reporting Authority Of IT DG Seema Khanna

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday clarified that there has been no change in the reporting authority of its Director General (IT), Seema Khanna, following a fresh work allocation order issued a day earlier.

Under the new arrangement, Khanna has been placed under the charge of Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) Prakash Raj Purohit instead of Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (Senior DEC) Manish Garg. However, election officials clarified that the change does not alter her reporting structure.

Controversy over July reporting order

The controversy dates back to July 28, when Manish Garg issued an order directing Khanna to report directly to the Election Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and SS Sandhu.

Before this, Khanna reported to Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar. Following Kumar's transfer to the Delhi government, Garg issued the order, effectively removing the intermediate reporting level and bringing Khanna directly under the Commission.

Election Commissioners reportedly raised objections

However, according to sources, Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi strongly objected to the arrangement. They reportedly wrote separate letters to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan, raising concerns over the allocation of responsibilities within the poll body.

The July 28 order was subsequently put on hold. The Election Commission also informed the Supreme Court that the order had never been implemented.

Officials clarify revised work allocation

Officials have now clarified that since the July order never came into effect, Manish Garg continued to oversee Khanna's work after Sanjay Kumar's transfer. With Prakash Raj Purohit recently joining as Deputy Election Commissioner, the responsibility has now been assigned to him.

ECI's IT division faces scrutiny

The issue has also brought the functioning of the ECI's IT division under scrutiny. The division, headed by Khanna, controls the software used for maintaining electoral rolls.

According to an earlier report by The Indian Express, Election Commissioners had raised concerns that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who are legally responsible for preparing electoral rolls, were unable to discharge their duties effectively due to restrictions imposed by the software.

Concerns were also raised over the alleged excessive centralisation of control by the IT division, which could limit the powers and operational autonomy of officials working at the ground level.

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Published on: Thursday, November 05, 2026, 09:00 PM IST