Overview Political parties in Kerala have expressed serious concerns regarding the significant number of voters listed as ’absentee, shifted or dead’ (ASD) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The Election Commission of India (ECI) refers to this list as ‘uncollectable enumeration forms.’ As of Monday morning , the list had grown to over 25 lakh names . In response, Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar has announced that the ASD list will be uploaded online in a searchable format for public scrutiny. Key Developments Composition of the ASD List The ASD list comprises several categories: Deceased: 6.44 lakh Untraceable: 7.11 lakh Permanently Shifted/Absent Voters: 8.19 lakh Duplicated Names: 1.31 lakh Others: 1.93 lakh (including those who refused to return forms) CEO's Announcement Mr. Kelkar stated that booth-wise details, including names and EPIC numbers , of all 25 lakh individuals on the list would be uploaded on district-level websites by Monday evening or Tuesday . This move aims to enhance transparency and allow for public verification. Political Parties' Concerns The issue sparked heated debate during a weekly meeting of political parties chaired by Mr. Kelkar . Representatives from CPI(M), Congress, CPI, IUML, Kerala Congress, Kerala Congress (M), and RSP demanded that the ASD list be published online and made available for verification. They highlighted that the number had increased by over 5 lakh since the previous meeting on December 6 , raising questions about the efficiency of the SIR process. District-wise Break-up The district-wise distribution of uncollectable forms shows: Thiruvananthapuram: 4.36 lakh (highest) Ernakulam: 3.34 lakh Demands and Reactions CPI(M) M.V. Jayarajan , representing CPI(M) , emphasized the urgency of publishing the names in the ASD list , noting the significant increase since December 6 . Congress M.K. Rahman of the Congress urged Mr. Kelkar to request the ECI to grant Kerala more time to verify the names in the ASD list . CPI and IUML CPI leader Sathyan Mokeri and IUML State secretary Mohammed Shah questioned the criteria used to report individuals as deceased, stressing the seriousness of wrongly listing even one person. BJP J.R. Padmakumar , representing the BJP , urged the ECI to ensure that notices issued to voters during verification clearly state the reasons and that no individual's name should be deleted without a proper personal hearing. Election Commission's Response Mr. Kelkar clarified that enumeration forms were distributed to all 2.78 crore voters on the electoral rolls as of October 27, 2025 , with 99.7% of the forms returned and digitized. Meetings between ECI -appointed Booth-Level Officers (BLO) and Booth-Level Agents (BLA) of political parties were expected to be completed by Monday . Revised SIR Schedule Enumeration Phase Ends: December 18 Draft Voter Roll Publication: December 23 Filing Claims and Objections: December 23 to January 22, 2026 Notice Phase (Hearings and Verification): December 23 to February 14 Final Rolls Publication: February 21 The Congress has requested that the CEO continue weekly review meetings with political parties until the final rolls are published. UPSC Relevance This news is relevant to GS2 (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Elections) . It highlights the importance of maintaining accurate electoral rolls, the challenges involved in doing so, and the role of the Election Commission in ensuring free and fair elections. The concerns raised by political parties and the measures taken by the CEO are crucial for understanding the dynamics of the electoral process in India.