Congress Faces Backlash in Kerala Over SIR Resolution After Winning Election Through Same Process

Kerala is among the few states where the Congress is in power, but a recent development in the state assembly has sparked a major political row. The Congress-led UDF-dominated assembly passed a resolution targeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the nationwide 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of voter lists, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.

The Political Contradiction

The BJP has questioned how Congress can challenge the credibility of the SIR process after coming to power in the state just five months following its implementation, accusing the party of practicing "politics of deceit." This comes even as senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor publicly acknowledged that the SIR process might have helped the party win the assembly elections.

Passed on Monday, the resolution is the first of its kind in India. According to the state leadership, the resolution demands the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the reinstatement of "eligible voters" removed during the process, and major reforms in the selection of election commissioners. Out of 140 members in the Kerala assembly, 137 voted in favor, with only three BJP MLAs opposing it.

Voter List Revision and Electoral Impact

The SIR in Kerala was part of the second phase of the nationwide revision announced earlier. When the final voter lists were published, nearly 8.57 lakh names had been removed. Significantly, no major political party had raised objections to the process at the time. Subsequently, the Congress-led UDF secured a landslide victory, winning 102 out of 140 seats.

Following the assembly's resolution, BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on the state government, accusing the ruling parties of political opportunism and double standards regarding constitutional bodies.