The
Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued notice to the Election Commission of India
(ECI) on a plea filed by the Kerala government seeking postponement of the
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state.
A
Bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and SVN Bhatti also issued
notices to the poll body on the pleas filed by the Communist Party of India
(Marxist) [CPI(M)], the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Indian Union Muslim
League leader PK Kunhalikutty, challenging the revision of electoral rolls
itself, the report added. The apex court listed the next hearing on November
26.
Senior Advocate Kapil
Sibal, appearing for the Kerala government, submitted in the court that the SIR
schedule clashes directly with the state's upcoming local body elections.
The petition stated that
the ongoing SIR is unsuitable for the State’s current electoral timetable,
particularly with Local Self-Government Institution (LSGI) elections scheduled
for December, reported Bar and
Bench.
It further noted that
according to the Constitution, along with provisions of the Kerala Panchayat
Raj Act and the Kerala Municipality Act, the local poll must be completed
before December 21, 2025.
The
plea noted that the State Election Commission has scheduled polling for
December 9 and 11, with counting set to start on December 13 and the entire
process expected to conclude by December 18. It added that the SIR timeline
overlaps with this schedule, as the enumeration deadline is December 4, the
data must be submitted by December 9, and the final revised electoral rolls are
due to be published on February 7, 2026.
Conducting
the elections will require 176,000 government and quasi-government staff, in
addition to 68,000 police personnel, the state government said. The SIR would
need another 25,668 staff, creating what the petition describes as an
unsustainable administrative burden, it added.
It argued that trained personnel
cannot be allocated to both tasks and warned of a possible administrative
standstill. It stated that there is no pressing need for the SIR now, noting
that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have concluded and the next Assembly polls
are not due until May 2026.
The Supreme Court is also dealing with petitions
concerning the SIR in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The matter relating to
Bihar has been heard several times, and the state has already completed its
elections. However, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have yet to begin the SIR
process, and the Court has sought the commission’s response to challenges
raised in those states.