SC asks ECI to 'sympathetically' consider extending SIR deadlines in UP, Kerala

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to “sympathetically consider” requests seeking an extension of the deadline for submission of enumeration forms in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the SIR process in several states.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the petitioners in Uttar Pradesh, stressed the need to extend the deadline for submitting enumeration forms. He pointed out that the next Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are due in March–April 2027, arguing that there was no urgency warranting haste in the SIR process.

The ECI had, on December 11, revised the enumeration deadline in Uttar Pradesh to December 26, with the draft electoral rolls now scheduled to be published on December 31.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI, sought additional time to file responses to the petitions challenging the SIR in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. On the question of extending deadlines, he submitted that the Commission was monitoring the process and extending timelines wherever required.

“It is not that if two weeks are given now, it cannot be extended further,” Dwivedi said.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners from Kerala, submitted that nearly 25 lakh names were on the verge of deletion from the State’s electoral rolls. He cited instances where one spouse’s name was retained while the other’s was deleted.

Allowing the petitioners to make representations to the ECI, the court directed the Commission to consider them “sympathetically” and take an appropriate decision after factoring in ground realities and relevant considerations.

Advocate Charu Mathur, appearing for an applicant, raised concerns over the engagement of volunteers in the SIR process, alleging risks to citizens’ personal data amid rising instances of digital fraud. The Bench, however, declined to entertain the application.

The court also noted that the ECI had extended the SIR deadline in Kerala twice, from December 4 to December 11, and then from December 11 to December 18, due to the local body elections. The ECI is scheduled to make its submissions on the legality of the SIR process on January 6, 2026. (With LiveLaw inputs)