New Delhi, Nov 21 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) concerning a request from the Kerala government to postpone the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls within the state, particularly with local elections to the Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) approaching.

A Bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, SVN Bhatti, and Joymalya Bagchi, has scheduled to hear the case on November 26, following a submission by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state government. He pointed out that the SIR process is ongoing while preparations for the local body elections in the second week of December are under way.

Justice Kant instructed, "Issue notice. All these petitions will be heard on November 26," while also linking similar petitions from CPI(M), CPI, and the Indian Union Muslim League.

The Kerala government is seeking a mere postponement of the SIR, while political factions are contesting the legality of the SIR process itself.

It has been argued by the Kerala administration that conducting the SIR alongside the LSGI elections would lead to a significant manpower crisis.

In its petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the state has indicated that more than 176,000 government and quasi-government personnel, along with 68,000 security staff, are necessary for the local body elections.

The SIR, as claimed in the petition, requires an additional 25,668 officials, most of whom are taken from the same limited pool of trained election personnel.

The state’s plea emphasized, "There is a constitutional requirement to conclude the LSGI elections before December 21, 2025. Undertaking the SIR concurrently will overburden the administration and negatively impact the smooth execution of elections," referring to statutory deadlines established under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994.

It maintained that while local polls must be wrapped up by December 21, there is no urgent need to finalize the SIR at this time, especially since Assembly elections are not expected until May 2026.

"Rushing the verification process while constitutional elections are in progress undermines the democratic right to franchise," the petition asserted.

Prior to this, the ECI had asserted before the Kerala High Court that the SIR is part of a nationwide initiative, with more than half completed, and that halting it abruptly would impede preparations for the upcoming electoral cycle.

Justice V.G. Arun from a single-judge Bench noted that similar petitions regarding the SIR of voters' lists in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal are already pending before the Supreme Court, thus requiring the Kerala High Court to abstain from ruling on the matter.