The Supreme Court has directed that the list of voters deleted during Kerala’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls be made public, after concerns were raised over the removal of nearly 24 lakh names without adequate opportunity for objections.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has directed that the list of voters deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala be made public. The direction came while hearing multiple petitions challenging the conduct and timing of the SIR exercise, which reportedly led to the deletion of nearly 24 lakh voter names from the draft electoral rolls.
The matter assumes heightened importance in light of the upcoming local body elections in Kerala scheduled for December 9 and 11, 2025, raising serious constitutional and administrative concerns.
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A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant took cognizance of the submissions highlighting the exclusion of approximately 24 lakh voters from the draft rolls.
Directions of the Court
The Court directed that the list of voters deleted during the SIR be publicly displayed, including on official websites, if not already done.
“In Bihar, we had directed that the draft lists be displayed publicly,”
the Bench observed, referring to an earlier precedent.
Acknowledging practical difficulties faced by citizens, the Court noted that the ECI may consider extending the deadline for filing objections by two weeks, ensuring affected voters are not disenfranchised without due process.
The matter has been listed for further hearing after the ECI and State authorities submit compliance reports on the Court’s directions.
The petitioners submitted that a substantial number of voters were removed from the draft electoral rolls without adequate notice, resulting in many affected individuals remaining unaware of their exclusion. It was contended that the revision process did not provide sufficient opportunity for voters to raise objections as contemplated under the electoral laws.
The petitioners further expressed concern that carrying out the Special Intensive Revision simultaneously with the local body elections could overburden the administrative machinery and adversely impact the timely conduct of the constitutionally mandated electoral process.
Petitions were filed by:
- Kerala Government
- IUML General Secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty
- KPCC President Sunny Joseph
- CPI(M) Secretary M.V. Govindan Master
Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing on behalf of the Election Commission of India, opposed any deferment of the Special Intensive Revision process and submitted that the exercise was well underway. He informed the Court that nearly 99% of the enumeration forms had already been supplied to voters and around 50% of the forms had been digitised.
Dwivedi further stated that the SIR was being conducted in coordination with the Kerala State Election Commission and that necessary administrative arrangements had been put in place to ensure that the ongoing revision would not interfere with the conduct of the upcoming local body elections.
“There is no problem; we only need a small section of BLOs. The commissions are not facing any difficulty,”
Dwivedi submitted.
Importantly, the Kerala Government clarified that it does not challenge the validity of the SIR notification at this stage, but seeks a postponement of the exercise.
The State argued that:
- Local body elections involve 1,200 Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) and 23,612 wards.
- The election schedule leaves no administrative bandwidth for a parallel SIR exercise.
- Overlapping processes could jeopardise the constitutional requirement to complete local elections before December 21, 2025.
The State has reserved its right to challenge the constitutionality of the SIR separately, if required.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) independently challenged the SIR, alleging that the exercise is:
- Arbitrary and unconstitutional
- Designed in a manner that could lead to mass voter exclusion
- Potentially impacting the fairness of the upcoming local body elections
The petition was filed under Article 32, underscoring the gravity of the alleged violation of fundamental rights.
Background: Supreme Court Notice Issued Earlier
On November 21, the Supreme Court issued notice on Kerala’s plea seeking deferment of the SIR process. The Court is now closely monitoring compliance with its directions on public disclosure, transparency, and voter protection.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated a State-wide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Kerala. According to petitioners, the process resulted in large-scale deletions without adequate notice or opportunity for affected voters to file objections, thereby undermining the right to vote, a cornerstone of Indian democracy.
Political parties, the Kerala Government, and civil society stakeholders approached the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, alleging that the exercise was arbitrary, opaque, and ill-timed.
Case Title:
State of Kerala vs. The Election Commission of India & Ors.
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