IUML moves SC seeking stay on SIR amid local body polls
New Delhi/Malappuram, Nov 17
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the Special Interim Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in Kerala, arguing that the exercise cannot legally or practically run parallel to an active election process.
The party contends that with the State Election Commission already notifying the local body polls -- scheduled in two phases on December 9 and 11 -- the continuation of SIR would create administrative conflict, confuse voters and overburden field-level officers.
In its petition, the IUML submitted that carrying out a statewide revision of electoral rolls during an election violates established electoral conventions and threatens the stability of the poll process.
It argued that two parallel processes -- one by the State Election Commission for the local polls and another by the Election Commission of India for the SIR -- would inevitably clash at the operational level, especially at the level of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who are tasked with duties for both exercises.
The plea also referred to the tragic incident reported on Sunday involving the death of a Booth Level Officer in Kannur.
It was alleged that the officer died by suicide due to extreme work pressure linked to the SIR process, a development that has triggered widespread concern among employee unions and political parties.
Last week, the State government had approached the Kerala High Court seeking a postponement of the SIR until after the local body elections. The High Court declined to intervene and advised the State to move the Supreme Court, noting that similar matters are already before the apex court.
Meanwhile, both the CPI(M) and the Congress have announced that they too would approach the Supreme Court with similar demands, signaling the emergence of a broad political consensus in the State against conducting the SIR during an active election cycle.
The issue is now poised for urgent consideration by the apex court. However, the state unit of the BJP has decided to stay away from the issue.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some common sense! Why can't the SIR wait for a few weeks? The local body elections are just around the corner. This parallel process will only confuse voters and create unnecessary chaos. Good that all major parties except BJP are on the same page.
The poor BLO who died by suicide due to work pressure - this is heartbreaking. We need to think about the ground-level workers who bear the brunt of these administrative decisions. Their mental health matters too. 😔
While I agree the timing is problematic, I wonder if IUML would be raising this issue if it benefited them politically. All parties seem to be playing politics here. The real concern should be ensuring free and fair elections without overburdening officials.
Interesting that BJP is staying away from this. Shows their different political calculations in Kerala. The Supreme Court needs to set clear guidelines to prevent such conflicts in future election cycles across all states.
As someone from Kerala, I can confirm the confusion this is causing. My neighbor went to update her voter details and was told to come back after elections. The system is clearly not equipped to handle both processes simultaneously. SC should grant the stay.
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