Today, On 2nd December, Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to extend the SIR deadline for voter list revision in Kerala, stressing the need for comprehensive and accurate electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections, amid public concern and administrative delays.
The Supreme Court advised the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the deadline for submitting enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, taking into account the ongoing local body elections.
A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, learned that the initial deadline of December 4 had already been pushed to December 11.
Local body elections in Kerala are set for December 9 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for December 13.
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Highlighting that officials currently engaged in election duties should have adequate time to complete the uploading process, the CJI emphasized that the ECI should “extend it more so anyone missed out will also get an opportunity.”
The Court characterized the request for additional time as “just and fair” and worthy of consideration.
In response to petitions from political parties contesting the SIR process on the grounds that it disrupts ongoing elections, the Court granted permission for the Kerala government to present a detailed case to the ECI advocating for a deadline extension.
The ECI has been instructed to reach a decision on this request by the day after tomorrow, after a thorough and sympathetic evaluation.
The Bench also urged the poll body to consider whether the SIR exercise should be temporarily suspended if it turns out to hinder the electoral process.
The Supreme Court indicated that it would reassess the matter if further intervention becomes necessary.
A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a thorough process conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and clean up the electoral rolls in a state or Union Territory. During an SIR, every eligible voter’s details are verified, and efforts are made to remove duplicate, fake, or incorrect entries.
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