SIR in Ernakulam: booth-level officers staring at an uphill task

The Election Commission is yet to announce the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, though the move has triggered opposition in political circles.

The booth-level officers (BLOs), appointed to help in the preparation of the voters’ list, however, have already started feeling the heat of the massive exercise, election officials in Ernakulam revealed.

The BLOs in the district are facing a herculean task, as they have been instructed to compare the voter rolls of 2025 with those of 2002 as a precursor to implementing the SIR. The voter rolls of 2002 are being used as the base list for reference during the revision. The comparison between the two lists has not been as easy as it might sound, officials involved in the process said. “What makes it particularly challenging are the changes in the borders of the assembly constituencies—and consequently the booths—implemented during the delimitation of 2005,” an official pointed out.

The BLOs have been handed the voter rolls from 2002 and asked to compare them with the latest list of 2025. “They have been instructed to submit a comparison of booth-wise figures by Saturday (September 20, 2025). However, it seems the deadline will have to be extended, with the BLOs citing practical difficulties in comparing the booth-wise lists due to mismatches in booth boundaries between the two lists,” the official said.

Though the total number of assembly constituencies in Ernakulam district remains 14, as it was in 2002, the constituency-wise map has been considerably redrawn following the delimitation.

“In 2002, four of the 14 assembly constituencies in Ernakulam district were Vadakkekkara, Njarackal, Palluruthy and Mattanchery. By the 2011 election, these constituencies were replaced by Vypeen, Kochi, Kalamassery and Thrikkakara, with changes in the areas included in each segment. In other constituencies as well, some panchayats were added or removed as part of the delimitation. For instance, Aayavana, Pothanikode and Paingottoor panchayats, which were earlier part of Kothamangalam assembly constituency, now fall within Muvattupuzha. As a result, the order of booths must have been changed. It is not easy for a BLO to compare the voter details in a particular booth of a constituency in the 2002 list with the corresponding booth in the latest list. A detailed analysis of the areas is required to conduct a foolproof comparison,” the official added.

The comparison exercise is being conducted as a preliminary step for the SIR, which is expected to be declared in October. District Collector G. Priyanka held a consultation on Thursday with stakeholders, including representatives of political parties and officials from the concerned departments, to discuss the move to conduct the SIR.