Kerala approaches SC seeking to defer SIR till December local body polls
The government told the court that conducting the SIR simultaneously would result in a severe administrative burden. Local body polls alone require 1.76 lakh personnel from government and quasi-government institutions, and an additional 68,000 police and security staff. The SIR demands another 25,668 personnel.
New Delhi: Raising administrative liabilities and tremendous work pressure, the Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court seeking to defer the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission of India,. The LDF government has argued that the exercise will adversely affect the administration during the run-up to the December local body elections.
In its plea, Kerala has urged the court to postpone the SIR at least until after the Local Self-Government Institutions polls. The State says the manner in which the revision is being undertaken is incompatible with the current election schedule.
Kerala has 1,200 local bodies and 23,612 wards, with polls mandated to be completed before December 21, 2025. The State Election Commission has scheduled polling for December 9 and 11, with counting on December 13. The entire election process is expected to conclude by December 18.
As per the SIR schedule, enumeration by Booth Level Officers must be completed by December 4, 2025. Submission of details is scheduled for December 9, and the final publication of the electoral rolls will take place on February 7, 2026.
The government told the court that conducting the SIR simultaneously would result in a severe administrative burden. Local body polls alone require 1.76 lakh personnel from government and quasi-government institutions, and an additional 68,000 police and security staff. The SIR demands another 25,668 personnel.
"This puts a severe strain on the State administration, bringing routine administrative work to a standstill,” the petition states, adding that the same trained staff cannot be deployed for both tasks.
IUML approach SC against SIT citing discrepancies in voter roll
Earlier, the Indian Union Muslim League has approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list in Kerala ahead of the local body elections.
Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran will present the party’s plea before the court, making the IUML the first political party in the state to legally challenge the SIR.
The petition raises concerns over the SIR notification itself, stating that conducting a radical revision of the electoral roll simultaneously with local body elections has placed unbearable pressure on field staff, including BLOs. It also alleges that the SIR is being used as a tool to remove voters