Kerala Govt Objects to SIR Exercise Citing Local Body Polls, HC Asks State to Move SC

The Kerala High Court advised the state government to approach the Supreme Court over its request to postpone the SIR of voter lists, which overlaps with the December local body elections. The court reserved its order as the ECI opposed any delay.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court has asked the state government to consider approaching the Supreme Court regarding its request to postpone the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, which coincides with upcoming local government elections. Justice VG Arun indicated during proceedings that he was hesitant to adjudicate the matter, suggesting the state government petition the Supreme Court instead, where related cases are already under consideration. The judge noted that while the High Court possesses judicial review authority, it would be more suitable to defer to the Supreme Court given existing proceedings there.The court has reserved its judgment on the matter.

When Are The Local Body Elections?

Local body elections are scheduled by the Kerala State Election Commission for December 9 and 11, 2025, with vote counting on December 13. The entire election procedure must conclude by December 18. Advocate General Gopalakrishna Kurup presented the case that conducting both processes simultaneously would paralyse state operations. He explained that local elections require approximately 176,000 staff members and 68,000 security officers, while the voter roll revision needs an additional 25,668 personnel. This massive deployment would halt regular governmental functions. The state requested postponing the SIR exercise until December 21 to avoid conflicts with the election schedule, noting that election activities are already fully underway.

Election Commission Defends Process

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Election Commission of India, argued against the postponement. He pointed out that over fifty percent of the SIR process has been completed, and interrupting it mid-course would be counterproductive. Dwivedi characterized the state's administrative concerns as baseless, explaining that both election authorities are coordinating to execute both activities simultaneously without conflict. He stated that rather than halting one process, the solution lies in harmonious coordination between both exercises. The senior counsel noted minimal overlap of just four to five days between the two processes and mentioned that district collectors had not raised any objections during consultations.

According to the Election Commission's timeline:

• Preliminary preparations and training began in October
• Current phase involves enumeration activities
• Polling station rationalization: December 4 
• Preliminary roll preparation: December 5-8 
• Draft publication: December 9 (coinciding with first election phase) 
• Objection period: December 9, 2025 to January 8, 2026 
• Final roll publication: February 7, 2026