Kerala High Court Refuses To Stall SIR Electoral Roll Revision Despite State Govt's Local Polls Plea

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by the state government seeking to defer the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The state had requested the court to postpone the revision, being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), until the completion of the upcoming local body polls in Kerala.

The division bench, after hearing arguments from both the state government and the ECI, refused to entertain the plea, thereby clearing the way for the poll body to continue its schedule for updating the electoral lists.

The state government’s primary contention was that simultaneously conducting the intensive electoral roll revision alongside preparations for the local body elections was placing

an unmanageable administrative burden on local government staff and civil machinery. The argument centred on the fact that the same officials responsible for preparing and verifying the draft rolls for the SIR are also heavily engaged in pre-poll work for the local body elections, leading to a potential conflict of duties and an overstretched workforce. The state argued this overlap could compromise the quality and efficiency of both democratic exercises.

The Election Commission of India strongly opposed the state’s petition, arguing that the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision is a statutory and constitutional mandate and cannot be arbitrarily postponed based on the scheduling of local body elections, which fall under the purview of the State Election Commission.

The ECI emphasised that the revision process, which includes adding new voters, correcting existing entries, and removing deceased or duplicate names, is essential to ensure the electoral roll is accurate, updated, and ready well in advance of the next major assembly or general elections. Any delay could have serious implications for the integrity and timeliness of future polls.

The High Court accepted the ECI’s stance, noting that maintaining an updated electoral roll is a continuous, necessary process and that the poll body’s schedule must be respected. The court’s decision underscores the primacy of the ECI’s authority over the preparation of assembly and parliamentary electoral rolls and ensures that the revision programme will proceed as planned, with the draft roll expected to be published shortly. The state government is now mandated to manage the parallel administrative demands without altering the ECI’s established timeline.