The Supreme Court has sought the ECI’s response to pleas challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Kerala and UP. Petitioners, including the Kerala govt, warn of an ‘administrative impasse’ due to upcoming local body polls.
The Supreme Court has sought the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) response to a batch of pleas filed by various petitioners including the Kerala government challenging the ECI’s decision to carry out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the voter roll in the Kerala.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant also sought the ECI’s response to a plea filed by the Indian National Congress (INC) leader and MP (Member of Parliament) from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh Tanuj Punia, challenging the ECI’s decision to carry out SIR exercise in UP. The Supreme Court has listed the batch of pleas challenging SIR in Kerala to be heard on November 26. It has not yet fixed a date for the hearing on plea against SIR in UP.
Arguments Against SIR in Kerala
The Kerala government had recently approached the Supreme Court against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise currently underway in the state, saying the manner in which it is being undertaken is “not conducive to the democratic polity of the country” and warned of ‘administrative impasse” if the SIR is permitted to continue alongside the local body elections in December.
Earlier, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) approached the apex court seeking an immediate halt to the SIR exercise currently underway in Kerala, saying it cannot be conducted simultaneously with the ongoing local body elections.
ECI’s Nationwide SIR Plan
ECl had last month announced that it will conduct the second phase of SIR of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories, with the final voter list to be published on February 7, 2026. The first phase of the SIR was completed in Bihar before the assembly polls. The 2nd phase of SIR will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. (ANI)
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