Over 24.08 lakh electors have been removed from the draft voter lists in Kerala following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with the Election Commission publishing the updated draft electoral roll on Tuesday.

As per official data, Kerala has a total of 2,78,50,855 registered electors. Of these, 2,54,42,352 electors submitted their Enumeration Forms during the revision process, which concluded on December 18.

The poll body said the deletions were carried out after verification and were linked to multiple factors, including electors shifting to other states or Union Territories, voters found to be non-existent, individuals who did not submit enumeration forms within the stipulated time, and those who chose not to continue their registration.

Break-up of deleted names

According to the Election Commission, the deleted entries include 6,49,885 names of deceased voters, accounting for 2.33 per cent of the electorate. Another 14,61,769 voters, or 5.25 per cent, were removed after being found shifted or absent, while 1,36,029 voters, around 0.49 per cent, were deleted for being enrolled at multiple locations.

Claims and objections window open

Although the enumeration phase has ended, eligible citizens can still seek corrections. The Commission has opened a claims and objections period from December 23 to January 22, 2026, allowing applications for inclusion of eligible voters or removal of ineligible names from the rolls.

The final electoral roll for Kerala is scheduled to be published on February 21, 2026.

Awareness drives and field-level efforts

The Election Commission said extensive awareness campaigns were conducted across the state to ensure maximum participation. Senior election officials held regular meetings with political parties at the state, district and assembly constituency levels to explain the revision process and share progress updates.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) carried out house-to-house visits to all electors listed as of October 27, distributing Enumeration Forms and making at least three follow-up visits for collection. Booth Level Agents were permitted to submit up to 50 forms per day to strengthen coordination at the grassroots level.

To support field staff, BLOs were assisted by Anganwadi workers, students from NCC, NSS and election literacy clubs, volunteers, revenue officials and social work students. The poll body said more than 93 per cent mapping of collected forms was achieved through repeated training sessions, video tutorials and doubt-clearing programmes.

Special initiatives during SIR

During the exercise, the Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala launched motivational and outreach initiatives aimed at supporting election staff managing the heavy workload of digitising voter data. District-level programmes were also rolled out to recognise and motivate BLOs and supervisors completing digitisation targets.

In areas with weak network connectivity, a community-based digitisation model was adopted, where BLOs collectively digitised forms from locations with better internet access. Special urban camps were organised across all wards of urban local bodies to ensure comprehensive coverage of city voters.

India has marked a major milestone in its space programme as the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), popularly known as the ‘Baahubali’ rocket, successfully placed the heaviest-ever satellite launched from Indian soil into orbit on Wednesday.

The mission, LVM3-M6, lifted off from the second launch pad at the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, carrying BlueBird 6, a next-generation communication satellite developed by US-based company AST SpaceMobile.

Mission lifts off from Sriharikota

The 43.5-metre-tall LVM3 rocket, powered by two S200 solid strap-on boosters, took off at 8:55 am after the completion of a 24-hour countdown. The spaceport is located around 135 km east of Chennai.

After a flight lasting nearly 15 minutes, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite separated from the launch vehicle and was injected into its intended low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 520 km.

Confirming the success of the mission, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr V Narayanan said the satellite had been placed “successfully and precisely” into the designated orbit.

Heaviest payload carried by an Indian launcher

According to ISRO, this mission marks the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil using an Indian rocket. Dr Narayanan said the flight was also the third fully commercial mission of the LVM3.

He added that the mission demonstrated the strong performance record of the heavy-lift vehicle and highlighted its reliability in the global launch market.

Focus on space-based mobile broadband

BlueBird 6 is part of the BlueBird Block-2 series of communication satellites. These satellites are designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, without the need for any special hardware or equipment.

The aim of the technology is to enable broadband services straight from space, expanding connectivity to regions with limited or no terrestrial network coverage.

PM Modi calls launch a proud milestone

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the teams involved and described the launch as a significant achievement for India’s space sector.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said the successful placement of the US satellite into orbit strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces the country’s growing role in the global commercial launch market.

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections drawing closer, the seat-sharing tussle within the Mahayuti alliance continues, with the BJP increasing its offer to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena but failing to reach the party’s expectations.

According to sources, the BJP has now proposed close to 90 seats for the Shinde faction in the upcoming Mumbai civic polls. This is a significant jump from its earlier offer of 52 seats but still falls short of what Shinde is seeking. The Shiv Sena leader has reportedly reduced his demand from an initial 125 seats to 112, yet remains dissatisfied with the latest formula.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to hold another round of discussions with Shinde to break the deadlock. Sources indicate that the BJP is unlikely to stretch its offer much further, especially after its strong showing in recent statewide local body elections.

BJP firm after strong local poll performance

The BJP has emerged as the single largest party in the recent local polls, securing 117 municipal president posts. In comparison, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 53 posts, while Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP secured 37. These results have strengthened the BJP’s negotiating position ahead of the BMC elections.

However, the current seat-sharing calculations could change if Ajit Pawar decides to contest the Mumbai civic polls as part of the alliance. Senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare confirmed that no final decision has been taken yet, noting that discussions with alliance partners are ongoing.

Nawab Malik factor complicates alliance talks

A major point of contention within the Mahayuti is the issue of senior NCP leader Nawab Malik, who is facing multiple corruption cases, including a money laundering case linked to underworld activities. While the alliance has made it clear that Malik is unacceptable as part of its Mumbai setup, Ajit Pawar is reportedly firm on backing him.

Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam has publicly stated that the party would not align with any group that includes Malik. Sources added that if the NCP joins the alliance in Mumbai, it may be asked to project a different leader and contest a limited number of seats.

BMC elections timeline

The countdown to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections has already begun, with less than a month left for polling. Voting is scheduled for January 15, with counting set to take place the following day. A total of 2,869 municipal seats will be contested, including 227 seats in the BMC.