The appointment of Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) has renewed questions over the Election Commission of India’s internal file-routing arrangements and the management of electoral-roll information technology systems. The appointment comes amid reported concerns raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over the handling of files from the Commission’s IT department. The allocation of responsibilities under the new DEC is expected to draw attention as the poll panel prepares for upcoming Assembly elections, including the Uttar Pradesh elections scheduled for early 2027.

Rajpurohit, a 2010-batch IAS officer, has been appointed to the post following the premature repatriation of Sanjay Kumar to his parent AGMUT cadre in August 2026. Kumar had served as Deputy Election Commissioner from August 2024 and was responsible for the electoral-roll and IT divisions. He had also signed the Election Commission’s June 24, 2025, order initiating the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Rajpurohit’s appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, with his tenure scheduled to run until April 8, 2030.

The reshuffle has drawn attention because Sandhu and Joshi had reportedly written to the Cabinet Secretary expressing concern that files from the IT department were not being routed through Kumar. The department, headed by Dr Seema Khanna, oversees the Commission’s digital infrastructure, including ERONET, the system used for electoral-roll management. According to reports, the two commissioners were concerned about changes in administrative procedures that could affect oversight of systems central to voter registration and electoral-roll updates.

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Khanna joined the Election Commission on deputation from the National Informatics Centre in 2025. Her files had previously been routed through Kumar, but the arrangement reportedly changed after she was promoted to Level 15, equivalent to Additional Secretary rank, while Kumar held Level 14, equivalent to Joint Secretary rank. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg subsequently issued an internal order directing that Khanna’s files be sent directly to the Election Commissioners. However, that arrangement was reportedly not implemented. Following Kumar’s repatriation, her files began being routed through Garg, who was designated as Kumar’s link officer and assumed responsibility for the departments.

The concerns over file routing form part of wider questions raised within the Commission about the administration of electoral rolls and access to voter databases. Sandhu and Joshi have reportedly objected to several decisions over the past 10 months, including matters relating to voter registration, electoral-roll changes and oversight of the Commission’s IT systems. The issues have gained attention amid the nationwide SIR exercise, which has faced scrutiny over the scale of deletions from draft electoral rolls and the procedures for restoring eligible voters. The Election Commission has also announced special enrolment drives in states where the revision process has been completed.

The allocation of portfolios under Rajpurohit will determine whether the electoral-roll and IT divisions remain under existing arrangements or are reassigned. The decision is being watched closely because the Commission’s digital systems play a central role in maintaining voter records and administering electoral processes. The reported objections by the two commissioners have raised questions about internal oversight and the routing of important administrative decisions, although the implications of the new appointment will depend on the responsibilities formally assigned to Rajpurohit.

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