The Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court seeking to postpone the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The State wants the exercise to be deferred at least until after the upcoming local body elections, saying both cannot be carried out simultaneously.
#BREAKING State of Kerala moves Supreme Court challenging #KeralaSIR
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) November 18, 2025
Kerala says the SIR, conducted alongside upcoming local body elections, will derail the polls by creating an administrative impasse. The State seeks deferment of the SIR, arguing the manner of revision is not… pic.twitter.com/IGWLrYtQ12
In its plea, the State argued that conducting the SIR along with the local body elections would cause an administrative impasse. The exercise, in its current form, does not suit the state’s election schedule since polls to the Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGI) are due in December. The government clarified that while it may file a separate challenge against the SIR itself, the present petition is only to defer the process.
Kerala has around 1,200 local bodies and 23,612 wards. The last local body elections were held in December 2020. As per Articles 243E and 243U of the Constitution, and under the Kerala Panchayat Raj and Municipality Acts, the entire election process must be finished before December 21, 2025. The State Election Commission has announced on 9th and 11th December as polling dates, with counting set for December 13 and completion by December 18.
The plea highlights that about 1.76 lakh government staff and 68,000 police personnel will be required for the elections, while the SIR needs over 25,000 additional workers. The government said assigning the same workforce for both would seriously strain the administration and disrupt normal work.
The petition also pointed out that the timeline for the SIR overlaps with the election period. The enumeration deadline is on 4th December, data must be submitted by 9th December, and the final voter list is scheduled for publication on 7th February, 2026. Kerala argued that these dates directly clash with election duties and results.
The State said there is no urgent reason to complete the revision now since the Lok Sabha elections were held in 2024 and the next Assembly polls are due only by May 2026. It maintained that delaying the SIR would not affect any side but would help ensure the smooth conduct of the local body elections.
