Kerala: CM Vijayan expresses concern over hasty implementation of SIR; calls all-party meet on Nov 5

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Wednesday, has voiced serious concern over the hurried implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which is being carried out across 12 states and Union Territories, without adequate consultation with political parties.

Speaking to the media soon after the weekly Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said that the state Cabinet has decided to convene an all-party meeting on November 5 at 4 p.m. to discuss the issue and decide on the next course of action.

"It is essential that the process of voter list revision is transparent, inclusive, and enjoys the confidence of all stakeholders," Vijayan added.

The statement follows a similar observation from him earlier which had flagged procedural concerns in the way the Election Commission was conducting the voter roll revision across several states, including Kerala.

He emphasised the need for wider consultation to prevent administrative errors and ensure public confidence in the process.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had received representations from several political parties objecting to the pace and timing of the revision drive, launched as part of the nationwide summary revision of electoral rolls.

These parties alleged that the SIR process was being rushed without sufficient groundwork at the local level.

Vijayan said the state government would soon convey Kerala's concerns to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and urge it to ensure fairness, accuracy, and sufficient preparation time before finalising the updated voter rolls.

Political observers view the move to convene an all-party meeting as an attempt by the state government to forge a bipartisan consensus on the electoral roll update, a sensitive process that directly impacts election credibility.

Earlier on Wednesday, when the Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar called a meeting of party leaders here, all except the BJP opposed the SIR announcement.

--IANS

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