Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday inaugurated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, even as the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) continued their protests against the initiative.
Speaking at the launch event held at Raj Bhavan, Arlekar said the revision aims to ensure that the updated voters’ list is comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive, thereby facilitating free and fair elections. He urged election officials to guarantee that no eligible voter is excluded during the revision process.
“The revised voters’ list should be total, more accurate, and inclusive. I urge everyone in Kerala to support and cooperate with the process to make it swift and error-free,” the Governor said, according to a Raj Bhavan statement.
The Governor also assured full support to electoral officers overseeing the revision exercise. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ratan U Kelkar briefed him on the procedures and progress of the SIR. Additional CEOs Sharmila C and Krishnadasan P, Joint CEO Rusi R S, Electoral Registration Officer Madhu, and Booth Level Officer Benazir were also present.
The SIR launch comes a day after the state cabinet decided to convene an all-party meeting to plan opposition to the Election Commission’s move. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier expressed strong concern over what he described as the EC’s “hasty” implementation of the revision process.
He said the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution warning that the move poses a “challenge to the democratic process” and called for the withdrawal of the SIR. The resolution also urged that any voter list revision be conducted transparently and fairly, ensuring public trust in the electoral system.
With PTI inputs