Kerala CM, Leader of the Opposition decry ECI’s voters’ list revision as politically motivated

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s decision to implement the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in States including Kerala.

Calling the exercise a “challenge to the democratic process,” the Chief Minister said the carrying out the revision based on the 2002-2004 voters list instead of the existing ones goes against the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which mandate that any electoral roll revision should be made based on the current voters’ list.

In a statement, the Chief Minister pointed out that even the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kerala had informed the ECI that a special intensive revision was not feasible at this time, considering that the local body elections are approaching in the State. However, the insistence on implementing the SIR immediately casts a shadow of doubt over the Election Commission’s intentions, he said.

He also remarked that the ECI, which promoted voter participation, had overseen the removal of 65 lakh voters in Bihar. The move, he alleged, is being extended to other States and is a gross violation of the universal adult franchise guaranteed to every citizen under Article 326 of the Constitution.

Mr. Vijayan added that the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right of every citizen and cannot be taken away for political convenience.

‘Backdoor entry for NRC’

According to him, the developments have sparked concerns that the SIR process is being used as a backdoor method to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC). There is also widespread criticism that the exercise is an attempt by those in power at the Centre to manipulate voter lists in their favour.

“When the constitutional validity of the SIR in Bihar is still under the consideration of the Supreme Court, extending the same process to other States cannot be viewed as innocent or routine. Conducting such a major revision of the voter list hastily, without proper preparation or consultation, clearly indicates an attempt to undermine the people’s mandate.” Mr. Vijayan alleged.

Resolution against SIR

Urging the ECI to withdraw from decisions that erode its credibility, the Chief Minister reminded that Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against the SIR. He also urged all democratic forces across the country to unite and resist the second phase of the SIR process to safeguard democracy.

In a separate statement, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan termed the exercise a politically motivated move. The SIR, he cautioned, would disrupt the local body election process and create major administrative difficulties, including in the deployment of officials.

“There is reasonable ground to suspect that this is part of the BJP’s strategy to sabotage free and fair elections. Through the SIR, the names of people who have been voting for over 23 years are being mysteriously removed from the voter rolls. The ECI’s role in such efforts to distort the people’s mandate will gravely undermine democracy,” the Congress leader said.