Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the revision exercise as “unscientific and politically motivated,” warning that it could disenfranchise a large section of voters.
Published Nov 06, 2025 | 12:22 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2025 | 12:22 AM
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan endorsed the government’s stance, and said that the Congress was ready to join the legal challenge.
Synopsis: Kerala has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, following the DMK’s example in Tamil Nadu. In a rare show of unanimity, both the ruling and opposition parties expressed strong reservations against the SIR at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.
The Kerala government has decided to legally challenge in the Supreme Court the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state.
The move comes days after the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu filed a petition seeking a stay on the exercise, which is also underway in that state.
An all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday, 5 November, via video conference, reached a consensus—barring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—to question the implementation of the SIR, which aims to verify and update voters’ lists across the country. The exercise was described as “unscientific, unconstitutional, and ill-intentioned.”
The Chief Minister pointed out that the ECI’s decision to conduct the intensive revision based on the 2002 voters’ list, instead of the one used during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, raises serious concerns about fairness and intent.
According to sources, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government will seek legal advice both as a state and as a political entity to challenge the move.
In a rare show of unanimity, both the ruling and opposition parties expressed strong reservations against the SIR.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the revision exercise as “unscientific and politically motivated,” warning that it could disenfranchise a large section of voters.
He told the meeting that the government would seek legal advice both as an administration and as a political party to challenge the SIR, particularly in the context of the upcoming local body elections.
He further criticised the ECI’s decision to implement the intensive voter list revision based on the 2002 electoral roll, even though an updated list had been used for the recent Lok Sabha elections.
“Reverting to the 2002 list when a revised voter list was already in place during the last Lok Sabha polls is not only unscientific but also raises serious doubts about its intentions,” the Chief Minister said.
According to Vijayan, the decision undermines the credibility of the electoral process and poses serious logistical challenges. He warned that such an exercise could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement and disrupt the conduct of the forthcoming polls.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan endorsed the government’s stance, saying he was “fully in agreement with the Chief Minister’s concerns” and that the Congress was ready to join the legal challenge.
CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan called the SIR “unconstitutional and anti-democratic,” alleging that it was part of a larger plan to manipulate the electoral process.
Leaders from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) [JDS], Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and others echoed similar apprehensions.
Only the BJP’s K Surendran dissented, supporting the ECI’s decision.
The SIR, announced through ECI orders on 24 June and 27 October 2025, directs a thorough verification of voter lists, including the citizenship verification of individuals whose names were not present in the 2003 rolls.
States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu argue that this process lacks statutory backing, violates the Representation of the People Act, and could disproportionately target minorities and voters aligned with opposition parties.
Critics also point out that the ECI’s unilateral decision overrides existing voter roll mechanisms already in place.
For instance, a Special Summary Revision (SSR) was conducted in several states, including Tamil Nadu, between October 2024 and January 2025, resulting in updated rolls published on 6 January 2025. These lists have been continuously updated since then.
Tamil Nadu became the first southern state to take the SIR issue to the Supreme Court.
On Monday, 3 November, Chief Minister MK Stalin convened an all-party meeting that condemned the SIR as “anti-democratic” and warned that it could disenfranchise large sections of voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
The following day, the DMK filed a petition under Article 32, challenging the ECI’s orders.
The plea argues that the SIR is ultra vires the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, as the procedures it introduces have no basis in law.
The petition also contends that under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI cannot issue directions that supplant statutory provisions.
Moreover, Section 28(3) of the Representation of the People Act requires that all rules be published in the Official Gazette and laid before Parliament – something the ECI failed to do for the SIR.
Tamil Nadu’s petition further notes that the revision overlaps with the northeast monsoon period (4 November–4 December), making it impractical for officials and rural voters to comply with the verification drives.
Kerala’s decision mirrors Tamil Nadu’s legal strategy and marks a regional pushback against the ECI’s new verification drive.
With both states now poised for a constitutional confrontation, the issue could soon become a national flashpoint over the autonomy of the ECI and the sanctity of voter rights.
A senior official confirmed that the Chief Minister’s Office is consulting legal experts to determine the contours of Kerala’s petition before approaching the apex court.
If filed, Kerala will become the second state, after Tamil Nadu, to challenge the SIR, setting the stage for a major legal and political battle.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Kerala, Dr Ratan U Kelkar, stated that the state witnessed an encouraging response on Wednesday, the second day of enumeration form distribution as part of the SIR of the electoral rolls.
He said voters across Kerala warmly welcomed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who visited their homes for form distribution.
As of 8 pm, around 8,85,925 people—accounting for 3.18 percent of the total—had received enumeration forms.
Dr Kelkar clarified that the figure is provisional, as not all BLOs have uploaded the complete data, and the actual number is likely higher.
He added that district collectors have been directed to expedite the process, with BLOs working even at night to ensure voters face no inconvenience.
Both the CEO and district collectors will also visit households alongside BLOs wherever possible, he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
