The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday declined to direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the timeline for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, holding that decisions on operational schedules fall within the poll body’s specialised domain.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K. S. Hemalekha disposed of a public interest litigation filed by writer Devanuru Mahadeva, historian Ramachandra Guha, retired Major General S. G. Vombatkere, and former vice chancellor Sabhiha Bhoomigowda.
The petition had sought directions to the ECI to increase the duration of each phase of the SIR process in Karnataka from one month to three months. It also requested the establishment of voter facilitation centres at every polling booth across the state.
Court Says Timeline Is Within ECI’s Domain
Refusing to interfere, the High Court observed that the Election Commission, as a constitutional authority entrusted with conducting the SIR exercise, is best placed to determine whether the existing schedule is adequate.
The Bench said there was no basis to presume that the ECI would be unable to address any procedural issues arising during the revision process. It added that assessing the sufficiency of the timeline falls within the Commission’s specialised expertise and that judicial intervention at this stage would be inappropriate.
The court also noted that the Karnataka government had already submitted a representation to the ECI raising concerns over the timelines and said there was no reason to assume that the Commission would not consider those concerns.
Plea Held Premature
The Bench further recorded the ECI’s submission that similar matters are pending before the Supreme Court. Taking note of this, the court held that the petition was premature and disposed of it.
Petitioners Raised Concerns Over Practical Implementation
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Vikram Huilgol clarified that the challenge was not directed against the SIR exercise itself but was limited to the practicality of the prescribed timelines.
He argued that the revision process extends across urban and rural areas, including regions with illiterate voters, and would largely be carried out by Anganwadi workers and teachers. According to him, a 10-day training programme would not adequately prepare them for the exercise.
The petitioners also expressed concern that procedural shortcomings could lead to eligible citizens being left out of the draft electoral rolls. They contended that there was no objective procedure or prior notice mechanism before voters were excluded from mapping to earlier electoral rolls.
ECI Assures Court Of Monitoring Process
Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, representing the Karnataka government, informed the court that the state had already conveyed its concerns regarding the timelines to the ECI and was awaiting a response.
Counsel for the Election Commission opposed the PIL on the ground of maintainability, citing pending proceedings before the Supreme Court. The Commission also assured the High Court that it was closely monitoring the revision exercise and would modify schedules if operational difficulties emerged.
The ECI further informed the court that notices would be issued to unmapped voters after the publication of the draft electoral roll.
Court Declines To Examine Political Allegations
The High Court also clarified that it could not issue directions on allegations made by the petitioners regarding statements attributed to Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar. The allegations related to claims that citizens omitted from the revised electoral rolls could lose access to state welfare guarantee schemes.
Revision Schedule
Under the current schedule, booth-level officers are expected to complete house-to-house verification by August 8. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on August 17, after which claims and objections may be filed until September 16. Those claims and objections are to be decided between August 17 and October 15, with the final electoral rolls slated for publication on October 19.
