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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the hasty implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is being carried out in 12 states and Union Territories without adequate consultation with political parties.
Speaking to the media soon after the weekly cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said that the state cabinet has decided to call an all-party meeting at 4 pm on November 5 to discuss the issue and decide on the next course of action.
“It is important that the process of electoral roll revision is transparent, inclusive and has the confidence of all stakeholders,” Vijayan said.
This statement follows his earlier similar observation, which highlighted procedural concerns in the way the Election Commission conducts voter list revision in several states, including Kerala.
He stressed the need for extensive consultation to prevent administrative errors and ensure public confidence in the process.
The Chief Minister said the state government has received representations from several political parties objecting to the pace and timing of the revision drive launched as part of the nationwide summary revision of electoral rolls.
These parties alleged that the SIR process was being rushed without adequate groundwork at the local level.
Vijayan said the state government will soon convey Kerala’s concerns to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and urge it to ensure fairness, accuracy and adequate preparation time before finalizing the updated voter list.
Political observers see the move to call an all-party meeting as an attempt by the state government to build a bi-party consensus on the voter list update, a sensitive process that directly impacts the credibility of the elections.
Earlier on Wednesday, when Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Kelkar called a meeting of party leaders here, everyone except the BJP opposed the announcement of SIR.
–IANS
SG/KHz