The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the deadline for filing objections to the draft electoral roll in Kerala, following the state’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and to publicly display the list of voters removed during the process. The extension is suggested to be two weeks, giving citizens adequate time to review and respond to the deletions.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vijay Bishnoi, heard petitions raising concerns over the SIR, which saw nearly 24 lakh voters removed from Kerala’s draft electoral roll. Petitioners argued that the list of deleted voters had not been made publicly available, leading to confusion and preventing affected voters from filing timely objections. The court took note of these grievances and emphasized the need to ensure transparency and accessibility.

“Having regard to the difficulties allegedly being experienced by people in the state, we allow the ECI to extend time,” the bench observed. While leaving it to the poll panel to decide the exact duration of the extension, the court suggested a two-week period to address the concerns of affected citizens.

Public Display of Deleted Voters

The Supreme Court further instructed the ECI to publicly display the list of deleted voters, similar to the procedure followed in Bihar during its SIR process. The court specified that the list should be made available not only on the official website but also in offices of Gram Panchayats or other local public offices within villages, ensuring that all citizens can access the information.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing one of the petitioners, highlighted that approximately 24 lakh people had been removed from the draft roll and that the absence of a publicly accessible list made it impossible for voters to verify their status. Kumar also noted that many voters could not be “mapped” with their parents’ details from the 2002 electoral roll, further complicating the situation.

Kerala SIR Numbers

According to the Kerala state poll panel, the draft electoral roll published last month lists 25.4 million voters. Following the SIR, 24,08,503 voters were removed from the list, including individuals who were deceased, had migrated, or could not be traced. The court directed the ECI to consider all petitions related to the SIR comprehensively, including those questioning the validity of conducting the exercise.

The Kerala government, represented by advocate C.K. Sasi, had earlier sought deferment of the SIR enumeration as it coincided with local body polls. However, the court observed that this issue no longer applied and requested the ECI to consolidate responses to all pending petitions regarding the Kerala SIR. Other petitioners challenging the exercise include IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty, CPI(M) leader M.V. Govindan Master, and Kerala Congress president Sunny Joseph.

Similar Issues in Uttar Pradesh

The Supreme Court also considered petitions concerning the SIR exercise in Uttar Pradesh. The ECI informed the court that a response regarding voter deletions in the state would be filed by the end of the day.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, representing Barabanki Congress lawmaker Tanuj Punia, pointed out that the final draft roll following the SIR shows a reduction in rural voters compared to panchayat-level rolls. According to the petition, nearly 28.9 million voters were removed during the UP SIR exercise, including more than 4.6 million voters declared deceased, with the remainder having migrated or being untraceable.

Another petitioner, represented by senior advocate Siddharth Dave, requested the court to consider permitting the linkage of Aadhaar cards with voter identity cards to help track migrant labourers, a significant demographic in the state. The court agreed to examine the matter after reviewing the poll panel’s response.

Implications of the SC Order

The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores the importance of transparency and accessibility in voter registration exercises, particularly in the context of large-scale revisions like SIR. By mandating public display of deleted voter lists and extending the deadline for objections, the court seeks to ensure that citizens are not disenfranchised due to procedural delays or lack of information.

In Kerala, the two-week extension will allow voters to verify whether their names have been incorrectly removed from the draft roll and to submit objections if necessary. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, potential reforms like Aadhaar-voter linkage may help address the challenge of tracking migrant populations, ensuring that citizens are not inadvertently excluded from the electoral process.

The SC’s directive also reflects broader concerns about the fairness and accuracy of electoral rolls across India. As SIR exercises are conducted nationwide, the court’s emphasis on transparency, accessibility, and adequate timelines sets an important precedent for ensuring the integrity of voter registration and protecting citizens’ right to vote.

The ECI will now have to implement these directives, providing public access to the deleted voter lists and managing extended objection periods in Kerala while simultaneously responding to similar issues raised in Uttar Pradesh. The outcome will be closely watched by political parties, civil society organizations, and voters across both states.