Key political parties in Kerala, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Congress, have voiced strong objections regarding both the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the proposed use of the outdated 2002 SIR lists as the foundation for this critical update.
During a recent meeting with Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Rathan U. Kelkar, most recognized political parties collectively opposed the immediate implementation of the SIR. They urged Mr. Kelkar to request the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the revision until after the 2025 local body elections and to accept ration cards as a legitimate form of identification.
A primary concern raised by these parties was the insistence on using the most current electoral rolls, specifically those from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, instead of relying on a document that is 23 years old.
M.V. Jayarajan of the CPI(M) questioned the necessity for voters already possessing Electoral Photo ID Cards (EPIC) and listed in the latest rolls, who have also participated in the last five elections, to re-submit enumeration forms. He advocated for the ECI to utilize the 2024 Lok Sabha poll rolls, warning against a ‘Bihar model’ SIR, which led to the exclusion of millions from the voter list, stating such an outcome would be unacceptable in Kerala.
Congress MLA P.C. Vishnunadh highlighted the ‘impracticality’ of conducting the SIR so close to Kerala’s 2025 local body elections. He criticized the reliance on 2002 electoral rolls as ‘outdated data mapping’ and called for ration cards to be recognized as valid identification for the SIR in Kerala. M. Liju, General Secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), further emphasized that the SIR, as currently proposed, would not resolve existing issues concerning voter list additions and deletions that the Congress party has previously flagged.
Leaders from several other parties, including C.P. Cheriya Muhammed (Indian Union Muslim League – IUML), K. Raju (Communist Party of India – CPI), P.G. Presanna Kumar (Revolutionary Socialist Party – RSP), Joy Abraham (Kerala Congress), and K. Anandakumar (Kerala Congress (M)), all echoed the demand for the adoption of the most recent voter lists.
Recognizing Kerala’s significant expatriate Malayali population, including students, political parties also pressed for measures to guarantee that all eligible overseas voters from the state are properly included in the updated rolls.
BJP Supports SIR in Kerala, Raises Concerns on Citizenship
In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed support for the SIR but stressed that the CEO’s office must ensure the inclusion of all eligible citizens. BJP representative B. Gopalakrishnan argued that prior voting history does not automatically grant citizenship, emphasizing that individuals must meet the constitutional criteria for citizenship.
Both the BJP and other political parties requested the Commission to clarify the definition of the Malayalam term ‘Kudiyettakkaar’ (migrants/settlers).
Furthermore, political parties criticized the CEO’s office for a perceived lack of transparency, noting that SIR meetings had already been held by Collectors in four districts and that revision procedures had commenced statewide even before the State-level consultation on Saturday.
Although the ECI has not yet officially released the SIR schedule for Kerala, Mr. Kelkar convened this State-level meeting with recognized political parties in an attempt to address their concerns. Additional CEO Sharmila C. and other senior election officials also attended.