The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to “sympathetically” consider demands for extending the enumeration period under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. The court directed the poll panel to take a reasoned decision on the requests by December 31, keeping in mind ground realities and relevant factors.
The direction came while hearing petitions challenging the ongoing SIR process in both states. Petitioners argued that the revised timelines were too short and could lead to the exclusion of a large number of eligible voters. The court said affected parties were free to submit representations and instructed the ECI to examine them carefully before finalising its decision.
The ECI informed the court that it was monitoring the situation and had already extended timelines where necessary. Under the revised schedule, the enumeration period in Kerala runs until December 18, while in Uttar Pradesh it ends on December 26. Draft electoral rolls are to be published shortly thereafter in both states.
The Kerala government raised concerns that a significant number of voters could be deleted or left “unmapped” due to time constraints, potentially leading to inaccuracies in the rolls. Similar concerns were raised in Uttar Pradesh, where petitioners questioned the urgency of the exercise given that the next assembly elections are scheduled for 2027.
The Supreme Court has also asked the ECI to respond to legal issues raised in petitions challenging the SIR process in multiple states. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on January 6, when the ECI is expected to present its detailed arguments in defence of the revision exercise.
Photo by Subhashish Panigrahi, via wikimedia commons
