Kerala CEO Seeks Public Support for SIR Exercis
Kelkar assured that BLOs would not be pressured, and all necessary support would be given to help them carry out their duties
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar on Wednesday urged the public to support the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls.
He emphasized that the cooperation of all stakeholders is essential for the success of the exercise and to achieve a “pure electoral roll.” At a press conference here, Kelkar assured that BLOs would not be pressured, and all necessary support would be given to help them carry out their duties.
However, he warned that strict criminal action would be taken against anyone obstructing their work. His remarks came three days after the tragic death of BLO Aneesh George in Kannur, allegedly due to SIR work pressure, which prompted BLOs across Kerala to hold a day-long protest on Monday. Kelkar also revealed receiving numerous complaints from across the state about BLOs being prevented from working, as well as incidents of cyberattacks and misinformation targeting them.
The CEO warned that cyberattacks and misinformation targeting BLOs, who are fulfilling their duties as part of the SIR mandated by the ECI and are considered public servants, will face penal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Such acts may be prosecuted under Section 121 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty) of the BNS, or under relevant cyber laws or the Information Technology Act, as applicable.
Kelkar noted that the SIR exercise in the state is being conducted in strict compliance with the ECI’s schedule and must be completed within the set timeframe. Enumeration forms have already been distributed to over 97 percent of voters listed in the 2025 electoral roll, with five lakh forms collected and digitised so far. The first round of the SIR, which covers the distribution, collection, and digitisation of forms, began on November 4 and will conclude by December 4.
At the press conference, the CEO announced that 55,000 forms were deemed uncollectible, with 29,000 belonging to deceased voters and around 20,000 to those who have relocated. The rest involve untraceable individuals and duplicate entries. The CEO's appeal comes at a time when, barring the BJP, all major political parties have opposed the SIR exercise.
A number of petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the SIR and its timing, and earlier, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against it.
