IUML moves SC seeking halt to SIR in Kerala amid ongoing local bodies polls

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent stay on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, on the ground that the revision exercise cannot run parallel to the local body elections that have already been set in motion.

In its petition, the party pointed out that the State Election Commission has notified elections for local bodies in two phases on December 9 and 11, while the draft electoral roll under the SIR is slated for publication on December 4.

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Conducting the SIR during an active election period “violates settled electoral practice” and threatens the fairness and stability of the election process, the IUML has contended.

Calling the timeline fixed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) “wholly unrealistic,” the IUML has sought quashing of the ECI’s October 27 notification initiating the SIR in Kerala, along with several other states.

Filed through its General Secretary P K Kunhalikutty, the plea argues that the ECI’s decision lacks any prior assessment of fraud, duplication, or systemic irregularities in the existing electoral roll in Kerala. The SIR, it says, seeks to displace a valid roll and imposes extensive re-verification requirements that are “arbitrary and unreasonable.”

The petition further states that the one-month window provided for completing the exercise—particularly during the local poll schedule—is grossly inadequate and could result in large-scale deletion of voters because of the impractical timelines.

Seeking an immediate stay, the plea also refers to the recent death of Booth Level Officer Aneesh George, reportedly attributed to extreme stress arising from the SIR workload.

Last month, the ECI initiated the second phase of the nationwide SIR across 12 States and Union Territories, with the final electoral roll expected to be released on February 7, 2026. The revision process covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.