After Bihar, the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has now reached Kerala, with opposition parties raising objections even as the Election Commission maintains that the exercise is aimed at ensuring a clean, accurate and credible voter list ahead of future elections. With only a few days left for the SIR process to conclude, more than 25 lakh voters have been identified for exclusion from the October 2025 voter list in Kerala. According to official figures, the October list initially contained 2,78,59,855 voters. Following the SIR process, a detailed verification exercise has led to the identification of ineligible entries, including deceased persons, duplicate registrations and voters who have permanently shifted out of their constituencies.
Election authorities have underlined that the SIR has progressed with near-total coverage. As per data released by the Election Commission, 99.96 per cent of enumeration forms have been collected, and 99.77 per cent of them have already been digitised. Based on this verification, more than 25 lakh names have been marked for exclusion from the draft voter list. These include voters who have died, those who have permanently relocated, individuals whose names were found in more than one constituency, and others who could not be traced during the verification process. Chief Electoral Officer Ratan Kelkar clarified that the exercise is being conducted strictly in accordance with electoral rules and with adequate safeguards for genuine voters. He stated that once the draft voter list is published, all persons who have grievances or disputes regarding their exclusion will be given a full opportunity to get their names reinstated by submitting the necessary documents. The Election Commission, he said, remains committed to protecting the voting rights of all eligible citizens while removing ineligible entries from the rolls.
Meanwhile, several political parties have demanded that the figures be re-examined and that the deadline for the SIR process be extended. However, the Commission has reiterated that the current schedule provides sufficient time for objections and corrections, and that extending the process indefinitely would undermine the objective of timely electoral preparedness. As of December 15, a total of 6,44,547 voters listed in the October 2025 rolls have been officially identified as deceased during the SIR. In all, 25,01,012 voters are set to be excluded from the draft voter list. This includes 7,11,958 voters who could not be traced, 8,19,346 who have permanently moved out of their constituencies, 1,31,530 whose names appeared more than once, and 1,93,631 excluded for other verified reasons. Election officials have emphasised that these exclusions are based on documented verification and field-level checks.
District-wise exclusions from voter list
District-wise data shows that Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of excluded voters at 4,36,857. Other districts include Ernakulam with 3,34,962, Thrissur with 2,56,842, Palakkad with 2,00,070, Kozhikode with 1,94,588, Malappuram with 1,79,673, Kollam with 1,68,018, Kottayam with 1,66,010, Alappuzha with 1,44,243, Idukki with 1,28,333, Pathanamthitta with 1,00,948, Kannur with 89,932, Kasaragod with 63,114 and Wayanad with 37,422. Officials have clarified that the names of these voters will not appear in the draft list but will be published separately as part of a supplementary exclusion list. The SIR period will continue until December 18. The draft voter list is scheduled to be published on December 23, after which objections can be raised until January 22. Hearings and field inspections will be conducted up to February 14, and the final voter list will be published on February 21. The Election Commission has described this multi-stage process as transparent, inclusive and designed to minimise errors.
Despite these assurances, the parties, including the CPI(M), Congress and the Muslim League, have strongly criticised the exercise. CPM leader M.V. Jayarajan alleged that the Commission’s actions could result in the exclusion of nearly 18 lakh voters and questioned the claim that some voters failed to return enumeration forms. Congress leader M.K. Rahman demanded that the draft list include the names of all excluded voters. League leader Muhammad Shah claimed that nearly 10 per cent of voters were missing and called for fresh campaigns to re-enrol them. Countering these criticisms, BJP leader J.R. Padmakumar defended the SIR, stating that the exercise is essential to remove ineligible entries and protect the integrity of the electoral process. He warned against attempts to politicise or sabotage a legally mandated revision, asserting that a clean voter list is fundamental to free and fair elections.
