EC commissioners back annual SSR return after AG opinion
In short
The Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are reported to have seen the Attorney General opinion and Hegde case inputs as supporting annual SSR again. The practice was paused after 2024, skipped in 2025, and has not yet been announced for 2026.
This matters because 16 states are waiting for the schedule. What happens next is still not stated in the available reporting.
What the reporting says
The Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are learnt to have read the Attorney General opinion and Hegde case inputs as supporting a return to annual SSR, according to a publisher summary. The decades-old convention was paused after 2024, skipped in 2025, and has not yet been announced for 2026. The immediate consequence is uncertainty for 16 states waiting on the schedule.
Why it matters
The reported issue is that two Election Commissioners are said to have interpreted the Attorney General opinion and Hegde case inputs as favoring a return to annual SSR, which was paused after 2024 and skipped in 2025. The timetable for 2026 is still not announced. That leaves 16 states waiting and creates uncertainty around the election administration schedule.