Tamil Nadu Multi-Party Meeting Oppose SIR, to Approach Supreme Court if Not Halted

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: A multi-party meeting chaired by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai on Sunday called the Election Commission of India (ECI) to halt the proposed “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu and decided to approach the Supreme Court against the move if the poll body failed to stop it.

In a resolution adopted at the meeting charged the exercise to be “anti-democratic and against the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu,” as the apex court was yet to deliver its verdict on the SIR conducted in poll-bound Bihar.

“The SIR is unacceptable, and the all-party meeting urges the Election Commission to abandon the exercise. It should be conducted only after removing the shortcomings. It must be carried out in a transparent manner, in accordance with the guidelines of the Supreme Court, and with adequate time after the 2026 Assembly elections in the State,” the resolution said.

The all-party meeting accused the ECI of acting as a “puppet” of the BJP-led Union government and expressed concern over the outcome of the SIR exercise in Bihar. “SIR was conducted in Bihar with the aim of targeting and eliminating minority and anti-BJP voters. Eligible voters were removed and ineligible voters included in the electoral rolls. The Election Commission of India has not given answers to the people or to the Supreme Court,” read the resolution.

Out of 64 invited parties, 46 participated in the meeting, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian Union of Muslim League, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi.

The DMK had invited all the parties barring the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the main opposition in the state, and the BJP. The AIADMK factions led by O. Panneerselvam, the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor Vijay, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) led by Dr Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss, and the Naam Tamizhar Katchi of Seeman, and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam also stayed away from the event.

Actor Vijay’s TVK has condemned the SIR but termed the all-party meeting a “DMK political stunt.” In a statement, TVK Chief Vijay said, “TVK supports all-party unity over the SIR issue. However, we understand the DMK’s attempt to use SIR for political mileage. The Kerala government passed a resolution against SIR in its assembly. Why hasn’t the DMK government done the same? People understand the real motive behind this meeting. DMK is using SIR to divert attention from recent corruption allegations against its government.”

The all-party meeting termed the SIR in Tamil Nadu as unacceptable. “While the case against conducting SIR in Bihar is still pending in the Supreme Court and the court is yet to give its final order, SIR being conducted in Tamil Nadu a few months ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections is unacceptable.”

The resolution alleged it was highly condemnable that the Election Commission, “a puppet of the BJP-led government at the Centre,” was functioning in an undemocratic manner despite objections from the political parties of Tamil Nadu.

“Our fear stems from what happened in Bihar. In that State, the SIR was conducted in a manner that deleted the votes of minorities and those opposed to the BJP. The Election Commission failed to make any statement on the issue either in the Supreme Court or in public forums,” the meeting alleged.

“There is no doubt that the SIR, planned unilaterally by the Election Commission in Tamil Nadu and 11 other States, is aimed at depriving people of their voting rights and burying democracy fathoms deep,” the meeting said. It contended the SIR could be conducted only after issuing a notification in the Gazette as per Section 169 of the Representation of the People Act.

The meeting termed the SIR unlawful, as it had not followed the Supreme Court’s direction that Aadhaar should be the twelfth document. “There is no clarity about the use of Aadhaar in the Election Commission’s announcement. The statement that no documents are to be collected from electors during the Enumeration Phase has caused confusion among the people,” the meeting said.

“The announcement also states that documents related to the date of birth of voters should be submitted when demanded by the ERO. There is no answer to questions such as when it will be demanded, what the format of the application will be, how many days will be allowed for submission, and to whom it should be submitted. It seems that there is a plan to remove the names of genuine voters,” the resolution said.

The meeting also expressed doubts over the hurried manner in which the SIR is to be conducted. “The North-East monsoon will be at its peak during the proposed period of the SIR between November 4 and December 4. As most voters are rural farmers, they will not have adequate time to submit the Enumeration Forms. The Revenue Department will be busy handling emergencies arising from heavy rains. The period is not suitable for the SIR. The exercise appears to be intended to remove a substantial number of voters from the electoral roll,” the meeting said.

Reiterating that the SIR should be conducted in a fair manner, the meeting stated that the Election Commission should function impartially, without favouring any particular party. “The Constitution has vested the Election Commission with the responsibility of creating a level playing field for all parties. However, it is functioning to the advantage of the ruling party at the Centre,” the meeting further said.

The resolution stated, “While the final verdict in the SIR case is still pending before the Supreme Court, the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll announced by the Election Commission in its 27-10-2025 notification for Tamil Nadu is completely anti-democratic and a direct attack on the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu.”

MNM chief Kamal Haasan said trust in the Election Commission has plummeted to unprecedented levels. “Flaws in the SIR process must be rectified. Disbelief in the Election Commission is a threat to democracy. The ECI has the responsibility to prove its neutrality. The SIR should not be implemented hastily and must be taken up only after the 2026 state assembly elections,” Kamal Haasan said.

Speaking at the meeting, Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai said the Election Commission, along with the BJP, is trying to include fake voters in the electoral rolls, similar to what happened in Maharashtra and Karnataka. “If the Election Commission officials ask me for proof of citizenship, I will not be able to produce it, leave alone the common man,” he added.

Similarly, VCK chief and Member of Parliament Thirumavalavan said one has to understand that the SIR is not just an assault on voters’ rights but also an exercise to ascertain the citizenship of people. “The Election Commission is indirectly being used to create the National Registry of Citizens and implement Citizenship laws. We need to take strong steps to fight it,” he said.

Explaining the reasons why the two main opposition parties, the AIADMK and BJP, were not invited for the meeting, DMK senior leader TKS Elangovan said, “BJP is behind this entire exercise, and AIADMK is supporting them. How can we invite them when they are the ones backing it?” Both AIADMK and BJP have backed the SIR process, accusing the DMK of using the issue for political mileage ahead of the 2026 elections.