Congress-led UDF to oppose SIR in Kerala: V D Satheesan
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Kochi: Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Saturday said the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would strongly resist the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, alleging it was a “BJP tactic” to undermine free and fair elections.
Satheesan told reporters that carrying out SIR in Kerala could result in the removal of many voters who have been casting their ballots for more than two decades. He alleged that the exercise was intended to push the electoral rolls back to their 2002 status, when the last SIR was conducted in the state.
“There will be strong protests against it across the state, similar to those seen in Bihar,” he said in response to questions about the potential rollout of SIR.
Election Commission officials recently indicated that a decision on launching SIR nationwide will be taken soon. The exercise, aimed at cleaning up electoral rolls, is likely to be held before the end of this year, with as many as five state assembly elections, including Kerala’s, scheduled for 2026.