The Kerala government has urged the High Court to defer the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls until after the upcoming local body elections, citing a massive strain on administrative machinery.
In its submission, the state explained that conducting both the SIR and local elections simultaneously would be logistically overwhelming, as it requires the deployment of nearly 1.76 lakh government employees and 68,000 security personnel for polling duties, in addition to over 25,000 officials needed for the SIR process.
The local body elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on December 9 and 11, with vote counting on December 13, and all poll-related activities to conclude by December 18.
Kerala’s counsel argued that, unlike local elections—which must be held by December 21 under constitutional mandate—there is no immediate constitutional urgency to complete the SIR, as the next Assembly elections are not due until May 2026.
During the hearing, the bench led by Justice V.G. Arun observed that similar petitions against the SIR have been filed by other states—Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal—before the Supreme Court, and suggested that Kerala may also consider moving the apex court on the issue.
The High Court has reserved its verdict, which is expected to be announced on Friday. The outcome of this case could have a significant impact on the election timeline and administrative planning across Kerala, as the state navigates balancing electoral obligations with resource limitations.
