SIR: Deadline to file objections and complaints ends today

Thiruvananthapuram: The deadline for submitting objections and complaints related to the intensive revision of the voter list (SIR) in Kerala ends today. The draft electoral roll in the state was published on December 23.

The initial deadline to raise complaints and objections was set for January 22. Kerala had requested an extension of the date, and the Supreme Court had also directed the Election Commission in this regard. In this context, the deadline was extended to the 30th.

Meanwhile, concerns continue over the intensive voter list revision process undertaken by the Central Election Commission. Earlier, there was controversy over the large-scale removal of voters from the list; now, doubts are being raised about the number of newly added voters. According to figures available on the Commission’s website, 2,601,201 people have been newly included.

CPI M state secretary M V Govindan has written to the Chief Electoral Officer demanding that this list be published immediately. The letter states that it is unclear how such a large number of people were added. It also demands that the list of applications received be published and copies be made available to political parties.