Who Is Seema Khanna? ECI’s IT Chief at Centre of Row Over Electoral Roll Software
Seema Khanna, the Election Commission’s Director General (IT), has come under scrutiny amid an internal row over electoral roll software and the powers of Electoral Registration Officers. Concerns have been raised over centralised control of voter databases and whether software access has affected the statutory functions of field-level officials.
New Delhi, September 25: Election Commission of India Director General (IT) Seema Khanna has come under scrutiny amid an internal dispute over the functioning of electoral-roll software and the access and statutory powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The controversy follows an investigation by The Indian Express reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised concerns over the centralisation of electoral-roll database access under the ECI's IT division.
Who Is Seema Khanna?
Seema Khanna heads the Election Commission's IT department and oversees its digital systems. She joined the poll panel in 2025 on deputation from the National Informatics Centre (NIC). She was also associated with the launch of ECINet, the ECI's integrated technology platform that brought more than 40 applications and portals under one umbrella on January 22, 2026.
What Is The ECINet Controversy?
The dispute centres on ECINet and its predecessor ERONet, the software systems used for electoral-roll management. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, EROs are responsible for preparing and maintaining electoral rolls, including decisions involving addition, deletion and correction of voter names. Gyanesh Kumar’s UP ELC Events Postponed, ECI Cites Routine Scheduling Factors.
According to The Indian Express investigation, Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi repeatedly raised concerns that field-level electoral officials were facing restrictions in accessing and operating the electoral-roll system. Sandhu alleged in August that EROs and other statutory authorities did not have 'proper and complete access' to ERONet and said their powers had been curtailed by centralised control at the DG (IT) level. Opposition To Move Fresh Removal Motion Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Parliament Amid SIR Row.
What Happened In Goa?
The concerns came into sharper focus in Goa, where 97 voters reportedly remained excluded from the final electoral roll despite EROs finding them eligible. According to The Indian Express, Goa officials sent eight communications to the ECI over seven days seeking a mechanism to reverse earlier decisions.
The report said the software did not allow the EROs to reverse the decisions, with access to the required functionality controlled from Delhi.
Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar also wrote to Khanna during the episode, saying the IT system should not block action required under Supreme Court directions and asking that the system facilitate publication based on decisions taken by EROs and Assistant EROs.
Internal Differences Within Election Commission
The issue has exposed differences among members of the Election Commission. Sandhu and Joshi have raised concerns about what they described as the 'gradual centralisation' of the electoral-roll database. Joshi also proposed an audit involving outside experts to verify that only the relevant statutory authorities had credentials to make changes to voter data.
The two commissioners had also raised concerns about IT modules being developed without their knowledge and questioned whether the IT system was adequately aligned with the statutory functions of EROs.
Political Allegations Over EC Software
The controversy has subsequently become a political issue, with opposition parties questioning the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll data and ECINet. Some opposition leaders have also alleged that backend control of the software, including claims involving AI, could affect voter deletions or electoral-roll management.
These remain political allegations and have not been established as facts. The documented issue at the centre of the internal dispute is whether software access and centralised IT controls are affecting the statutory functions of EROs. The Election Commission and the officials concerned have not publicly established that the software was used to deliberately manipulate electoral rolls.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2026 08:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).