Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed serious concern over media reports that around 25 lakh people have been excluded from the draft electoral roll prepared as part of the Special Intensive Revision process in the state. He said in a statement that, the large-scale deletion of names, particularly under the vague category of “others”, raises grave questions about the transparency and credibility of the exercise.
The Chief Minister said that apart from the removal of deceased persons, those who have permanently shifted residence, cases of duplicate registration and untraceable voters, a significant number of exclusions are being carried out without clear justification. He pointed out that even the Election Commission does not appear to have clarity on who are being classified as “others”, indicating that the draft voter list is riddled with serious flaws.
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Vijayan asserted that the right to vote cannot be taken away on technical grounds. He said the right to franchise is a fundamental democratic entitlement of every adult citizen and that denying it amounts to weakening the very foundation of democracy.
Says 2002 drive also had lapses
Referring to the previous SIR exercise conducted in Kerala in 2002, the Chief Minister said that procedural lapses from that period continue to affect voters even now. He noted that those who were under 18 at the time were required to establish familial linkage to be enrolled in the voter list. As this process remained incomplete, available information suggests that nearly two lakh people per district are still unable to secure eligibility in the electoral roll.
Lacks transparency, says CM
He accused the Election Commission of implementing the current revision process without adequate transparency or consultation. Vijayan said voter list revision requires long-term preparation and careful deliberation, but the Commission chose to carry it out in undue haste during the local body election period. He recalled that the state government and representatives of political parties had then sought a review of the process, citing pressure on Booth Level Officers, but the Commission went ahead without addressing those concerns.
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The Chief Minister demanded that the Election Commission ensure that not a single eligible voter whose name appeared in the electoral roll during the Special Summary Revision conducted in September 2025 is excluded from the revised list under SIR. He also called for complete transparency in the process and said all information related to SIR should be made publicly available on the Election Commission’s website for political parties and citizens.
Kerala moved SC
Vijayan said the Election Commission must take all necessary steps to include every eligible voter in Kerala’s electoral roll. He added that the state government would take all measures to protect voters’ rights and confirmed that Kerala has approached the Supreme Court seeking redressal. He noted that the apex court has taken the shortcomings in the voter list revision seriously and has directed that the state’s concerns be addressed.
Calling for a review of the Commission’s actions so far, the Chief Minister urged it to avoid unnecessary haste and warned against excluding voters on technical grounds. He said the guiding principle of electoral roll revision should be the inclusion of all eligible citizens, in keeping with democratic values.
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