Kerala's SIR Plea: SC Agrees to Hear Deferral Request Amid Local Body Elections

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In a significant development, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Kerala government's plea to defer the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll next week. The move comes as the state prepares for local body elections, which are scheduled to take place on December 9 and 11. According to the Kerala government, conducting the SIR exercise simultaneously with the local body polls would create an administrative impasse, with around 176,000 personnel required for the elections and an additional 25,668 personnel needed for the SIR. The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India and other parties challenging the SIR process in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Puducherry. The court also listed the Kerala government's plea for hearing on November 26, while postponing the hearing of other petitions challenging the SIR in Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry to December. The Kerala government cited practical difficulties in undertaking the SIR exercise, stating that it would put a severe strain on the state administration and hinder routine administrative work. The court noted that the Kerala government's plea was unique, as other states have not taken similar action. The state has 1,200 local self-government institutions (LSGIs), comprising grama panchayats, block panchayats, district panchayats, municipalities, and corporations, covering a total of 23,612 wards. The constitutional and statutory mandates require that elections to these bodies be completed before December 21. The Supreme Court's decision to hear the Kerala government's plea is a significant development in the ongoing SIR exercise and its potential impact on the local body elections in the state.