The Supreme Court has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider extending the deadline for submitting enumeration forms for Kerala's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, acknowledging the State's plea as "just and fair". The request stems from concerns about potential administrative difficulties due to the overlap between the SIR process and the ongoing local body elections.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi addressed the matter on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, noting that the ECI had already extended the initial deadline from December 4 to December 11. However, the court suggested that a further extension would ensure that individuals who may have missed the opportunity due to their involvement in local election duties would also have a chance to participate in the SIR process. The local body elections in Kerala are scheduled for December 9 and 11, with vote counting to be held on December 13.
The court has permitted the Kerala government to submit a representation to the ECI, detailing the reasons supporting the request for an extension. The ECI is directed to consider this representation "objectively and sympathetically" and make a decision within the next two days.
The petitions before the Supreme Court were filed by the State of Kerala, the Indian Union Muslim League, KPCC President Sunny Joseph, CPI(M) Secretary Govindan Master, and other parties, all seeking a postponement of the SIR process in light of the local elections. While the State's plea does not challenge the validity of the SIR notification itself, it argues that conducting the SIR concurrently with local elections could create administrative challenges.
The State has argued that the overlap between the SIR and the local body elections could disrupt the statutory and constitutional mandate to complete the local body elections before December 21, 2025, potentially causing administrative standstill. Advocate C.K. Sasi, representing Kerala, informed the court that the local body elections would require the deployment of approximately 176,000 personnel from government and quasi-governmental services, along with an additional 68,000 police and other security personnel.
During the hearing, the ECI, represented by Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, stated that 99% of enumeration forms had already been distributed to voters and 50% had been digitized. Dwivedi also emphasized that the SIR process was proceeding in coordination with the State Election Commission (SEC), and administrative arrangements were in place to avoid conflicts with the local elections. He further noted that the Kerala SEC had exempted SIR staff from local election duties.
Despite the ECI's initial stance against deferment, the Supreme Court took note of the practical difficulties faced by government staff involved in the local body election process, who may not have sufficient time to submit the enumeration forms by the December 11 deadline. Chief Justice Kant remarked that an extension would provide an opportunity for anyone who might have missed out due to their involvement in election duties.
The Supreme Court has requested the ECI to consider extending the deadline by at least one week beyond December 13. The court has also suggested the ECI to consider whether the SIR exercise should be temporarily suspended if it hinders the electoral process. The Supreme Court has indicated it would reassess the matter if further intervention becomes necessary.
