New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission of India to give sympathetic consideration to requests seeking an extension of deadlines for submitting enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. The direction came during hearings on petitions challenging the constitutionality of the SIR process across multiple states.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant allowed petitioners to submit formal representations to the Election Commission. The court directed the poll body to assess ground realities and relevant factors before taking a decision. The bench also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
In Kerala, the enumeration phase has already concluded following an earlier extension. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioners, warned that nearly 25 lakh names face deletion. He pointed to inconsistencies in the process, including cases where one spouse remained on the roll while the other was removed.
For Uttar Pradesh, senior advocate Siddharth Dave argued against haste. He noted that the next assembly elections are scheduled for March April 2027. He said the timeline allows room for a careful process. The Election Commission has extended the enumeration deadline in the state to December 26, with draft rolls due on December 31.
Representing the Election Commission, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said the body continues to monitor developments and has extended timelines where needed. He sought additional time to respond to the constitutional challenge.
Concerns also arose over data safety. Advocate Charu Mathur flagged risks linked to volunteer involvement and rising digital fraud cases. The court declined to intervene on administrative choices at this stage.
