New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make public the names of individuals excluded from the draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Kerala. The move aims to enable affected voters to raise objections against their deletion from the electoral list.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also suggested that the poll panel consider extending the deadline for filing objections, preferably by two weeks, to give voters adequate time to respond.

During the hearing, the counsel representing the ECI indicated that the issue of extending the deadline would be considered. The bench was hearing a series of petitions challenging the SIR process carried out in Kerala, which is being contested by political leaders including P.K. Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), M.V. Govindan Master of the CPI(M), and Sunny Joseph, along with the CPI State Council.

The petitioners argued that the SIR, as currently implemented, risks disenfranchising a significant portion of the electorate due to technical errors and the absence of an effective mechanism for redress. They highlighted that nearly 24 lakh names had been deleted from the draft electoral rolls.

A key concern raised by the petitioners was the lack of transparency in the process. While voters are required to file objections against deletion, the list of excluded individuals has not been made publicly accessible, effectively denying them the opportunity to contest the removal of their names.

“They have to list objections, but the list of those persons deleted is not available. Now people have to go back and file objections stating why have you deleted me…that opportunity is missing for us,” one of the petitioners’ lawyers submitted.

The petitioners also pointed out errors in the draft rolls, including voters being erroneously marked as deceased or incorrectly recorded as residing outside the state. The lack of access to accurate information has been particularly challenging for rural voters, who may not have digital access or other means to verify their status on the rolls.

The bench noted that during a previous hearing, the ECI had extended the deadline for submission of enumeration forms from December 4 to December 11. Following the court’s observations, the deadline was further extended to December 18.

Taking these issues into account, the Supreme Court directed the ECI to ensure that the names of persons excluded from the draft electoral rolls are publicly displayed at gram panchayat offices or other local public offices in villages. In addition, the court instructed the ECI to upload the lists on the official website to ensure wider accessibility for voters across the state.

“Meanwhile, having regard to the difficulty being experienced by the people at large, the ECI may consider the desirability of extending the date,” the bench said.

This decision underscores the importance of transparency and accessibility in the electoral process, ensuring that voters have a meaningful opportunity to verify their status and submit objections. The move is expected to help protect the rights of those who might otherwise be disenfranchised due to errors or omissions in the SIR process.

Kerala’s SIR process has been closely watched, as it involves comprehensive updating and verification of the electoral rolls to remove duplicate or invalid entries. However, the scale of deletions and the lack of public access to the deleted list raised concerns among political parties and civil society groups about potential disenfranchisement.

The Supreme Court’s directive comes at a crucial time, as the final date for filing objections approaches. Ensuring transparency and allowing sufficient time for voters to contest deletions are considered essential steps to safeguard electoral integrity and the democratic rights of citizens.

The ECI is now expected to act swiftly to display the deleted names both physically at local offices and digitally online, while also considering an extension of the deadline for filing objections to ensure affected voters can exercise their rights without hindrance.