Thiruvananthapuram, 15 Dec (H.S.):A meeting of representatives of political parties in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. The meeting, convened by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

The meeting follows repeated demands by political parties to hold consultations after the conclusion of the local body elections. Taking these requests into consideration, the Election Commission has called the meeting to review the progress of the voter list revision and to seek the cooperation of political parties in completing the process smoothly.

With the local body polls now over, the Election Commission is expected to urge political parties to extend full cooperation to ensure the timely completion of the Special Intensive Revision. During the previous meeting, all political parties except the BJP had demanded that the deadline for submitting enumeration forms be extended further.

According to figures available as of Sunday evening, 99.71% of the total enumeration forms distributed have already been digitised. However, a significant number of forms are still pending submission. Officials estimate that around 24.92 lakh forms are yet to be received.

Reports indicate that the pending forms largely pertain to voters who have passed away or those who have shifted their place of residence. The Election Commission has emphasised the need to update the electoral rolls accurately by removing ineligible names and incorporating necessary corrections.

Chief Electoral Officer Ratan Kelkar has appealed to voters who are yet to submit their enumeration forms to do so at the earliest. He stressed that timely submission is crucial for ensuring an error-free and inclusive electoral roll ahead of future elections.

The meeting is expected to deliberate on the status of the revision exercise, the concerns raised by political parties, and possible measures to expedite the remaining work. Discussions may also focus on whether any further extension of the deadline is required, in view of the large number of pending forms.

The outcome of the meeting is likely to play a key role in shaping the final phase of the voter roll revision process in the State.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman