Kerala Assembly unanimously passes resolution against Special Intensive Revision of voter list

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Special Intensive Revision of the voter list. Presenting the resolution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the move is “malicious, unscientific, and aimed at sabotaging the people’s mandate.”

The resolution pointed out that the Election Commission’s decision appears to be a backdoor attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC). While the issue of voter list revision in Bihar is already before the Supreme Court, the decision to carry out the same process in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal cannot be seen as innocent. The resolution said that rushing into such a process without proper preparation casts doubts on the Election Commission’s intentions.

Local body elections are due soon, followed by Assembly elections. In this context, the sudden revision appears deliberate, the Chief Minister said. According to the new rules, those born after 1987 will have to submit proof of either parent’s citizenship to be included as voters, and those born after 2003 will need proof from both parents. The resolution termed this requirement a violation of the Constitution. It argued that minorities, Scheduled Castes, women, and the poor would be most affected, and also stressed that the voting rights of expatriates must be protected. It called the 2002-based revision “unscientific.”

The resolution also warned that those who supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will try to use this revision process for their own agenda, which poses a challenge. It urged the Election Commission to withdraw from measures that undermine fundamental rights and instead ensure transparency in updating the voters’ list.

Voter list revision must be transparent: TP Ramakrishnan

LDF convener TP Ramakrishnan said voter list revision must be transparent. He welcomed the use of the existing electoral roll for the upcoming local body elections but expressed concern over the ongoing revision process. He added that from October 21 to 27, the Left Front will organise meetings and seminars at district centres to explain these issues to the public.