India, Nov. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the Kerala government's plea to defer the electoral roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR) next week. It issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI), among others, on fresh pleas challenging the process in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Puducherry. Kerala cited urgency, saying the local body elections will overlap with the SIR exercise, leading to an administrative impasse.

"The cause you have taken has not been taken by other states," a bench of justices Surya Kant, SVN Bhatti, and Joymalya Bagchi told the Kerala government. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who represented Kerala, said some urgent orders were required as local body elections are scheduled on December 9 and...