The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to consider “objectively and sympathetically” the Kerala government’s plea to extend the December 11 deadline for submission of enumeration forms in the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state in view of the local body polls.
Observing that the requests were “just and fair”, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the EC to decide within two days.
During the proceedings, the EC, represented by senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Maninder Singh, defended the ongoing special intensive revision of rolls, arguing
that the local elections and the SIR were distinct exercises with separate workforces.
“The Kerala SEC has already exempted SIR staff from taking part in local election duties,” Dwivedi submitted.
He said that the deadline for submitting the enumeration forms has already been extended from December 4
to 11.
The bench took note of the submissions that local body elections in Kerala would take place on December 9 and 11 and counting of votes would conclude on December 13.
It also noted that around 1.76 lakh state government employees were engaged in the poll process for the local bodies in the state and hence, they might find it difficult
to submit the enumeration forms by the December 11 deadline.
Noting the grievances, the CJI granted Kerala government and other petitioners the liberty to submit a formal representation to the EC by 5pm on Wednesday, seeking an extension of the SIR deadline.
“We are confident that the Election Commission of India will consider this request objectively and sympathetically and pass an appropriate order within the next two days,” the bench said while posting the matter for December 9,” the bench said.
“If the date of enumeration is extended beyond December 13, then those left out due to local body polls can take part in it,” the CJI said.
“It is submitted that polling (for the local bodies) would be over on December 13. Shri Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Election Commission, said that for smooth conduct of local bodies polls, the state has allocated 1,76,000 staff and 25,468 staff for the SIR, which will be over by December 11.
“It is submitted that more than 98 per cent enumeration forms are distributed and more than 88 per cent are digitised. The SEC says all staff deployed by it are exempted from SIR duty,” the bench noted.
“Let the state of Kerala make a request to the Election Commission citing all the reasons for the extension of date, if not already given, by tomorrow 5pm,” it said, adding that the poll body will consider it “sympathetically and make a decision by day after tomorrow”.
The CJI noted a peculiar situation where the government body (Kerala SEC) appeared satisfied with the arrangement, yet political parties were raising objections.
“The government body does not have a problem, but the political parties have,” the CJI said during the hearing.
The bench, however, emphasised that government staff should not be overburdened.