The Supreme Court of India has scheduled hearings on petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. The Kerala cases will be heard on December 2, Tamil Nadu on December 4, and West Bengal on December 9. Related pleas concerning Bihar’s SIR will also be addressed.
Kerala SIR postponement issue
The Kerala SIR case arises due to the postponement of SIR exercises because of ongoing local body elections. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi highlighted that petitions related to the matter are already filed in the Madras High Court. The State Election Commission has maintained coordination with the ECI, with over 99 per cent of voters receiving forms and more than 50 per cent already submitted digitally.
Hearing schedule and court directions
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has directed an interim status report regarding Kerala’s SIR. The Supreme Court has ordered the ECI and State Election Commissions to file replies by December 1, with hearings set as per the schedule above. All lawyers involved in the Tamil Nadu SIR case will receive soft copies of documents, and responses must be filed by December 3.
Concerns over BLO deaths in West Bengal
During the hearings, it was reported that 23 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have died in West Bengal amidst the SIR process. The Supreme Court has sought a detailed response from the West Bengal Election Office by December 1 and ordered replies from both State Election Commissions and the ECI.
Supreme Court has also listed the pleas challenging Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in Tamil Nadu, for hearing on December 4.
Who is responsible for BLOs death?: CM Mamata
On the death of BLOs and SIR, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, "I cannot say anything about this. I have the entire record of who died by suicide, who died due to trauma. Several people are still dying by suicide. Who is responsible for the BLOs death in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan? What was the need to implement this in a hurry?.. They threaten the BLOs that they will be put in jail and have their jobs taken away. I want to ask you, how long will your job stay? Democracy will remain, but your job will not be there..."
EC writes to Kolkata Police Commissioner regarding BLO death case
"It has come to the notice of ECI that on 24.11.2025 a serious security breach has occurred at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, which has also been widely reported in Media. The existing security in the office of the CEO appeared to be inadequate to handle the situation, which could lead to threat to the safety and security of the Chief Electoral Officer, Additional Chief Electoral Officers, Joint Chief Electoral Officers, Deputy Chief Electoral Officers and other officers and staff working in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. The Commission has taken a serious view of the incident and directs that the Police Authorities should take all possible measures to ensure safety and security of officers and staff posted in the office of the CEO, at their residences and while commuting to and fro. The Commission further directs that adequate security classification shall be done on account of sensitivity involved due to SIR activities and forthcoming elections in the State and ensure t
Supreme Court schedules hearings on SIR cases
The Supreme Court will hear petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Kerala on December 2, Tamil Nadu on December 4, and West Bengal on December 9. Hearing on Bihar's related SIR matters is also linked to these dates. The Chief Justice of India stated no orders to stay the process would be given without hearing the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Issues around Kerala SIR postponement
The Kerala case concerns the postponement of the SIR due to ongoing local body elections. The Election Commission's advocate mentioned that related petitions were already filed in the Madras High Court. The State Election Commission affirmed that they had no issues, with over 99 per cent of voters receiving forms and more than 50 per cent already digitally submitted. The ECI and State Election Commission are coordinating closely.
Concerns raised in court and political reactions
Senior advocates, including Prashant Bhushan, raised concerns about the haste in the SIR process and the pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs), with reports of several suicides. In the West Bengal case, advocate Kalyan Banerjee reported that 23 BLOs had died. The Supreme Court directed replies to be filed by December 1 from the State Election Commissions and ECI, with hearings accordingly scheduled.
Contentious SIR process under scrutiny
Advocates including Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan have criticised the SIR process, highlighting issues such as the rush to complete the exercise, distress among BLOs including suicides, and inconsistencies across states such as Assam. The court has been urged to consider these complex factors while reviewing the petitions.
