Wed Feb 04 03:57:28 UTC 2026: # Kerala to Remove Hundreds of Foreign Citizens from Voter Rolls
The Story:
Kerala is undertaking a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its voter rolls, resulting in the removal of approximately 500 Keralites who have obtained foreign citizenship. The revision process has identified individuals across 10 districts who have become citizens of countries like Canada, the U.K., the U.S., and others. Additionally, the SIR has uncovered instances of Nepalese and Sri Lankan citizens being improperly enrolled in previous voter lists, leading to their removal as well.
The revision process, now in its final stages, involves hearings where individuals are asked to prove their Indian citizenship. In many cases, relatives of those who have acquired foreign citizenship have informed officials and requested their removal from the voter rolls to avoid potential legal complications.
Key Points:
- Approximately 500 Keralites with foreign citizenship will be removed from voter rolls.
- Kottayam leads in the number of identified overseas citizens with 178 individuals.
- Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta follow with 154 and 93 overseas citizens respectively.
- Citizenship countries include Canada, U.K., U.S., Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, UAE, and Norway.
- Instances of Nepalese and Sri Lankan citizens being improperly enrolled were found in multiple districts.
Key Takeaways:
- Kerala is actively updating its voter rolls to ensure accuracy and compliance with citizenship requirements.
- The SIR process is effectively identifying and removing individuals who are no longer eligible to vote in India due to acquiring foreign citizenship.
- The inclusion of Nepalese and Sri Lankan citizens in previous voter rolls highlights potential vulnerabilities in the earlier enrolment process.
- The proactive communication from relatives regarding foreign citizenship suggests a degree of awareness and compliance among the Keralite diaspora.
First Piper 