In a significant development, the Election Commission of India has firmly rejected the Kerala government's request to postpone the special intensive revision of the state's electoral rolls, stating that the state administration lacks the legal standing to make such a demand.
EC's Strong Stance in Supreme Court Filing
In a late evening filing submitted to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Election Commission categorically stated that the Kerala government has no locus standi to seek deferment of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The state government had sought postponement citing that a parallel process was underway for local body elections.
The EC emphasized that it has issued clear instructions to ensure that SIR activities are conducted in a manner that does not overlap with or interfere in any way with the ongoing local body poll work. The commission's filing made it clear that the authority to determine schedules for local elections rests exclusively with the Kerala State Election Commission (KSEC).
Clear Division of Responsibilities
The Election Commission explained that fixing poll schedules - from grassroots level democratic bodies to Parliament - is the sole prerogative of the State Election Commission. If anyone should have concerns about the simultaneous conduct of SIR and local body elections, it should be the KSEC and not the state government, the EC argued.
Highlighting the coordination between different electoral bodies, the EC stated that Kerala SEC and the Kerala chief electoral officer (CEO) are working in close coordination to ensure smooth and efficient conduct of both local body elections and the special intensive revision without any disruption to either process.
Administrative Arrangements in Place
The Election Commission provided details about the administrative measures taken to handle both electoral processes simultaneously. District collectors, who serve as district election officers for both local body polls and SIR, have assured adequate administrative arrangements are in place to facilitate efficient implementation of both activities.
In a crucial operational detail, the EC revealed that district collectors are authorized to engage only those personnel who are not assigned local body poll duties for SIR-related work. Furthermore, wherever personnel assigned for election-related work are required by the State Election Commission, they may be substituted for SIR duties in accordance with ECI guidelines.
The Election Commission concluded by asserting that there exists no operational overlap between the first phase of the special intensive revision and the conduct of local elections, effectively dismissing the Kerala government's concerns about simultaneous processes creating administrative challenges.
