New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear on Friday a petition calling for the postponement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Kerala’s electoral rolls ahead of the forthcoming Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGI) elections.
On Wednesday, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai agreed to list the case after being told that the SIR process was progressing even though local body elections are scheduled for the second week of December.
The Kerala government has itself moved the apex court after the High Court last week declined to entertain its plea to defer the exercise. The state argued that conducting the SIR alongside the elections would create an “administrative impasse” due to manpower shortages.
In its petition under Article 32, the government noted that over 1.76 lakh officials and 68,000 security personnel are required for the polls, while the SIR demands an additional 25,668 staff from the same limited pool. It stressed that the LSGI elections must be completed by 21 December under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994, whereas Assembly elections are not due until May 2026.
“Undermining the quality of verification by needlessly rushing it through, when constitutional elections are underway, goes counter to the democratic right of franchise,” the plea stated.
The Election Commission of India opposed the deferment, saying the SIR is part of a nationwide exercise and already more than halfway complete. It warned that halting the process would disrupt preparations for the next electoral cycle.
Earlier, Justice V.G. Arun of the Kerala High Court had observed that similar challenges to the SIR in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are pending before the Supreme Court, and judicial discipline required the High Court to refrain from adjudicating.
(Inputs from IANS)