Better to approach SC: Kerala High Court to state on SIR petition

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday suggested it would be appropriate for the state government to approach the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of Indias (EC) decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala. Hearing the states petition to defer the SIR until after the local body elections, Justice V G Arun made the suggestion, saying several other states had also filed Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) against the exercise. At the hearing, Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup said the state had not questioned the SIRs validity as of now, but was seeking its deferment until the LSG polls were over. The state is of the view that the SIR...is not conducive to the democratic polity of the country, he said, and sought to reserve the states right to challenge the SIR in appropriate proceedings, if necessary. However, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, the EC counsel, said the states petition was a clever ploy aimed at ultimately pushing the SIR beyond the elections. The state contended that conducting the SIR simultaneously with the local body polls would hinder its smooth conduct, which the state said were a massive exercise requiring deployment of 1.76 lakh personnel from government and quasi-government services, along with an additional 68,000 police and security personnel. The state would face an administrative deadlock, the AG said. Dwivedi submitted that the SIR was announced on October 27, and by now, 55% of the enumeration work was over. The entire process is to be concluded within one month, ending on December 4. It involves only obtaining the electors signature. The state should have approached the Supreme Court. Any intervention at this point by the HC would interrupt the process mid-way, he said.