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The move follows consultations with political parties and internal deliberations within the CEO’s office
Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan Kelkar
Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer formally wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday seeking to postpone the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state until after the 2025 local body elections.
The move follows consultations with political parties and internal deliberations within the CEO’s office, sources told CNN-News18.
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The local body elections, scheduled between November and December, will require significant involvement from election officers, who would otherwise also be tasked with carrying out the SIR.
Rathan Kelkar cited this overlap as a key reason for requesting the deferment.
During a meeting convened by the CEO earlier, representatives of major political parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Congress, expressed strong concerns about the timing of the SIR and the proposal to use the 2002 electoral rolls as the base document for the revision.
Party leaders argued that using such outdated data was impractical and urged the Election Commission to instead rely on the most recent rolls, such as those used in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Political parties also requested that ration cards be accepted as valid identification during the revision process and highlighted the need for clarity on local definitions, including the term ‘Kudiyettakkaar.’
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the SIR, its representative B Gopalakrishnan stressed the importance of ensuring that only eligible citizens are included in the electoral list.
He noted that previous voting does not automatically confirm citizenship; individuals must meet the constitutional criteria for eligibility.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the CEO’s request, leaving the timeline for the SIR in Kerala uncertain.
Kerala, India, India
September 22, 2025, 20:40 IST
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