In a significant move that has sparked political controversy, approximately 25 lakh voters in Kerala are set to be removed from the state's electoral rolls. This action follows the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission.
Massive Deletion and Political Backlash
The state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Rathan U Kelkar, informed an all-party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday that enumeration forms distributed to around 25 lakh individuals had not been returned for the crucial digitisation process. This revelation immediately drew strong objections from major political parties, with the BJP being the sole exception.
Leaders from the CPM, Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) challenged the EC's figure of 25 lakh unreturned forms. They have collectively urged the Election Commission to publish the names of those slated for exclusion alongside the draft voter list, demanding greater transparency and an extension of the SIR deadline, which is currently December 18.
Breakdown of Proposed Deletions
CEO Kelkar provided a detailed justification for the proposed deletions. He stated that 99.96% of enumeration forms were returned and 99.77% were successfully digitised. The 25 lakh names identified for removal reportedly fall into specific categories: deceased persons, voters who have permanently relocated, those registered in multiple locations, and others excluded for various reasons.
As of December 15, the SIR exercise had identified 6,44,547 deceased individuals still on the October 2025 voter list. Furthermore, 7,11,958 voters could not be located, 8,19,346 had permanently moved, 1,31,530 were duplicate entries, and 1,93,631 were excluded for other reasons. Verification is set to continue until February 14, with the final electoral roll scheduled for publication on February 21.
District-Wise Impact and Opposition Concerns
The Election Commission released a district-wise tally of voters proposed for removal, which totals 25,01,012. These names will not feature in the initial draft list but will be published in a separate supplementary list. The draft voter list itself is due on December 23, with the window for raising objections open until January 22.
Opposition leaders were vehement in their criticism. CPM's M V Jayarajan disputed the poll panel's claim that excluding deceased and duplicate voters would account for about 18 lakh deletions. He also rejected the notion that voters refused to return forms, suggesting the issue might lie with officials failing to retrieve them.
Congress leader M K Rahman insisted that the draft list must include the names of the excluded to ensure proper scrutiny. IUML's Muhammad Shah warned that nearly 10% of the current voter list, which has 2,78,59,855 electors, would "disappear." He advocated for a collaborative campaign involving all political parties to maximise the inclusion of eligible voters.
In contrast, BJP leader J R Padmakumar supported the SIR, stating its purpose was to weed out ineligible voters and that this objective should not be undermined in Kerala.
The proposed deletions, if finalized, will mark one of the most substantial revisions to Kerala's electoral landscape in recent times, with the political debate over transparency and voter rights set to intensify in the coming weeks.
