Chief Minister Slams Election Commission Over Special Intensive Revision of Voter List
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the Central Election Commission’s announcement to implement a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in states including Kerala is a challenge to the democratic process.
He added that the Election Commission’s insistence on immediately implementing the SIR process, even after the State Election Officer declared it impossible with local body elections approaching in Kerala, casts a shadow of doubt on the commission. Vijayan emphasized that institutions like the Election Commission should not be allowed to become puppets of the ruling party at the Centre.
The Election Commission is reportedly preparing to conduct this intensive revision based on the voter list from the 2002-2004 period, instead of the current one. According to the Representation of the People Act of 1950 and the Voter Registration Rules of 1960, the voter list should be updated based on the existing electoral roll.
“There is nothing like voting, I will definitely vote” was the message for Voter’s Day 2024, which was promoted nationwide. Yet, the Chief Minister pointed out, those who propagated this message are the ones who removed 65 lakh people from the voter list in Bihar. The SIR process, which took place in Bihar and is now planned to be extended to its second phase, is a complete violation of the universal right to vote guaranteed to citizens by Article 326 of the Constitution. The Chief Minister asserted that the fundamental right of a citizen to vote cannot be removed based on political interests.
The concern that the SIR process is intended as a backdoor implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is growing stronger. The criticism that central authorities are using SIR to revise the voter list in a manner convenient to them has not been denied in any way, which is also relevant here.
Extending the same process to other states while the constitutional validity of Bihar’s SIR is under consideration by the Supreme Court cannot be viewed innocently. It is clear that the hasty implementation of a special intensive revision of the voter list, which requires long-term preparation and consultation, is aimed at subverting the popular mandate. The Chief Minister urged the Election Commission to withdraw from such decisions that affect its credibility.
Kerala is a state that passed a unanimous resolution in the Legislative Assembly against SIR. The Chief Minister appealed to all who wish to protect democracy to jointly respond against the second phase of the SIR process.