The Congress on Friday raised questions over Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s silence on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list, a process recently conducted in Bihar and proposed for other states ahead of elections.
Addressing the media in Kannur, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said, “SIR on the eve of elections is opposed by all parties in the INDIA bloc, including CPI(M). Chief Ministers like M K Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, and Hemant Soren have spoken against it, but Pinarayi Vijayan remains silent.” Venugopal accused the CM of double standards, noting that while CPI(M) leaders nationally have opposed the SIR, Vijayan has limited his comments to Kerala-specific issues.
Earlier, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala, Rathan U Kelkar, had convened a meeting with all political parties. Both Congress and CPI(M) opposed the SIR, while BJP supported it. Considering the upcoming local body elections in December, Kelkar requested the Election Commission to postpone the revision.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan warned that conducting the SIR while the matter is pending in the Supreme Court could amount to contempt. He also alleged that the exercise might indirectly implement the citizenship register, removing migrant voters, and described using 2022 voter rolls as the base as unscientific.
The controversy underscores growing political tensions over the SIR and its implications for voter representation in Kerala ahead of crucial elections.
