Kerala’s state assembly took a firm stand on Monday, unanimously passing a resolution to challenge the Election Commission of India’s plan for a special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the charge, warning that this move might quietly pave the way for the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Vijayan highlighted lessons from Bihar, where a similar SIR process led to unfair removals from voter rolls. “We’ve seen the politics of exclusion play out there, and now there’s real fear this could spread nationwide,” he said while introducing the resolution.
He questioned the timing, noting that Bihar’s process still faces a Supreme Court challenge on its constitutional grounds. Why rush a similar effort in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal right before key elections? Vijayan argued that such a big task demands careful planning and broad consultations, not a hasty rollout.
“This rushed SIR feels downright suspicious, especially as Kerala gears up for local body elections and assembly polls soon,” Vijayan added. He called it an attack on the people’s voice, pointing out that Kerala’s last full voter revision happened back in 2002. Relying on that outdated info now? “That’s unscientific and just won’t fly,” he said.
Even the opposition leader, V.D. Satheesan, backed the resolution fully. He stressed that voting rights form the backbone of democracy. “We can’t let anyone wipe out real voters or throw up barriers in the voter list. Kerala’s strong democratic roots deserve protection from these shady tactics,” Satheesan declared.
The assembly’s rare unity shows deep worries across party lines. Lawmakers fear this voter list overhaul could spark mass deletions, erode trust in elections, and shake the transparency that keeps democracy alive in India.
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