The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Election Commission of India’s response to the Kerala government’s petition seeking the deferment of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state until the conclusion of the local body elections in December.
A bench comprising Chief Justice-designate Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi, and SVN Bhatti also issued notice to the poll panel on petitions filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and PK Kunhalikutty, leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Appearing for Kerala, senior counsel Kapil Sibal told the Bench, “We are saying this (SIR) is co-terminus with the local election.”
The Court posted the matter for hearing on November 26 and said that all petitions will be taken up together.
While the Kerala government has sought postponement of the SIR until the municipal elections conclude, the CPI, CPI(M) and IUML have challenged the legality of the SIR exercise itself on various grounds.
The Kerala government has contended that the ongoing SIR clashes directly with the local bodies’ election process and would impose a severe administrative burden, impacting the smooth conduct of polls.
Filed through the State’s Chief Secretary, the plea says that the manner in which the SIR is being undertaken is “not conducive to the democratic polity of the country.” It seeks deferment of the SIR until December 21, 2025.
The petition prays for a direction to the ECI to defer the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in the State of Kerala till December 21, 2025, by which time the ongoing elections to the Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) would be fully completed.
Polling for the local bodies is scheduled for December 9 and 11, with counting on December 13 and the process concluding on December 18.
Kerala has over 1,200 local bodies across 23,612 wards. The government informed the Court that the elections already require the deployment of 1.76 lakh staff and nearly 68,000 police and security personnel.
The government said that the SIR would require an additional 25,668 personnel, putting immense strain on the administration and bringing routine governance to a halt. It added that the same trained staff cannot be used for two intensive processes simultaneously, warning of an “administrative impasse” if the SIR continues.
The petition also pointed out that the SIR deadlines overlap with the election schedule: enumeration must be completed by December 4 and details submitted by December 9, while the final revised rolls are to be published on February 7, 2026.
The IUML has already approached the Supreme Court with similar concerns, asserting that the SIR cannot proceed in parallel to an active election process in the state.
Last month, the ECI announced the second phase of SIR in 12 states and union territories—including Kerala—with final rolls to be published on February 7, 2026. The nationwide revision covers Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.