Supreme Court To Hear SIR Pleas

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to conduct Special Intensive Revision exercise in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and other States.A three-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant, S.V.N. Bhatti and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Election Commission on all the fresh petitions filed by different political leaders, challenging SIR exercises in different States on different grounds.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for a petitioner challenging SIR exercise in Kerala, submitted that local body elections are also scheduled to be held in the state and, therefore, there is some urgency involved in the matter. The apex court directed the pleas challenging SIR exercise in Kerala will be listed on November 26 and rest of the petitions challenging electoral roll revision exercise in other States will be taken up for hearing in the first or second week of December. Justice Kant said that it is good that political parties are now coming forward to challenge the exercise instead of private individuals.The top court is already hearing a clutch of pleas challenging the validity of the Election Commission's decision to conduct pan-India SIR exercise.On November 11, the top court sought separate responses of the poll panel on pleas filed by DMK, CPI(M), West Bengal Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders challenging the SIR of the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal respectively.The Kerala government's plea said that the State, as an entity, is of the view that the SIR, particularly in the manner in which it is being undertaken, is not conducive to the democratic polity of the country."The state prays for leave of this court to reserve its right to challenge the process of the SIR in appropriate proceedings, if deemed necessary. However, the grievance of the State highlighted in this writ petition is limited to request for deferment of the SIR in Kerala," it said. The state government further said that the deferment is sought for since undertaking of the SIR simultaneously with the elections to the local self government institutions (LSGIs) will adversely affect the smooth conduct of the said elections and will possibly result in an administrative impasse in the State. The Kerala government further said there are 1200 LSGIs in the State, made up of 941 Grama Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 14 District Panchayats, 87 municipalities and six corporations. It said the Kerala State Election Commission has decided to conduct general elections to the LSGIs in the state on December 9.