Political parties creating a scare: ECI to Supreme Court on pleas against SIR in Kerala, TN, West Bengal

The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that political parties are creating "a scare" about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in the States of Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing pleas against the validity of SIR and seeking deferment of the process.

On the plea filed by the Kerala government to defer the SIR, the Court asked the ECI and the State Election Commission (SEC) to file its response by December 1 and listed the case for hearing on December 2.

"Let ECI, SEC file the counter in Kerala SIR case by December 1. List the case on December 2," the Court directed.

The petitions challenging SIR in Tamil Nadu will be heard on December 4 while the challenge to the exercise in West Bengal will be heard on December 9.

The Supreme Court has been hearing several petitions challenging the conduct of Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) of electoral rolls in various States.

Earlier this month. the State of Kerala moved the top court, urging it to at least defer the SIR exercise till after the local body elections in the State are over.

It argued that there was no urgency to conduct the SIR in Kerala now, and that the simultaneous conduct of both the SIR and the local body polls would cause severe administrative strains.

The Kerala government added that while it may challenge the SIR itself separately, the current plea is limited to postponing the exercise.

Notably, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], the Communist Party of India (CPI), and Indian Union Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikutty also moved the Court, challenging the validity of SIR process itself.

The Court issued notice on these petitions on November 21.

The ECI had first directed a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in June 2025 for Bihar. Multiple petitions were filed before the Supreme Court challenging this exercise.

Despite those challenges being sub-judice, the ECI on October 27 extended the SIR to other States and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala.

Subsequently, the SIR exercises in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were also challenged. The Supreme Court issued notice on those petitions on November 11.

The Bihar SIR was meanwhile completed since the Supreme Court did not stay the process.