Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday expressed concern over the Election Commission’s decision to carry out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state among other regions.
Calling it a serious challenge to the democratic process, he said the ECI’s move raised doubts about the poll panel ‘s intention .He warned that the move could undermine public trust in the electoral system.
While the Constructional validity of the Bihar SIR is under the consideration of the Supreme Court, the same extending to other states cannot be viewed as an innocent act , he said.
The Kerala chief minister pointed out that the Commission is preparing to base the revision on voter lists from 2002 to 2004, instead of the existing rolls which would violate the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
“These laws clearly state that any update must be made using the current voter list as its foundation,” he said.
“What happened in Bihar, and what is now being extended to other states, is a violation of Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to vote,” CM Vijayan said. “The fundamental right to vote cannot be curtailed or withdrawn to serve political interests,” he added.
CM Vijayan said that the State Election Officer had already requested the ECI that conducting a special intensive revision now would be impractical in Kerala , as the state is preparing for local body elections.
He alleged that the Union government is attempting to introduce the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the backdoor by implementing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“The concern that the SIR process is intended to implement the National Register of Citizens through a roundabout route is growing stronger here. It is also relevant here that the criticism that the central authorities are making through the SIR is a move to update the voter list in a way that suits them has not been denied in any way,” he said.
His statement came a day after the Election Commission announced that the SIR will be carried out between November and February in states that include Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal which go to the Assembly polls in April/May 2026.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly recently passed a unanimous resolution urging the Election Commission to withdraw the move to carry out SIR and warning that it would undermine democratic rights.