DMK Prepares to Protect Voter Rights During Tamil Nadu's Special Electoral Roll Revision

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who represents Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi in the Lok Sabha, has addressed the upcoming electoral roll revision in the state.

With the Election Commission reportedly preparing to announce Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, DMK parliamentary party leader MK Kanimozhi stated on Saturday that her party is fully prepared to engage with the process and safeguard voters' rights.

"The Chief Minister has provided explicit directives to DMK cadre that the confusion experienced in other states must not occur in Tamil Nadu. We need to approach this exercise with clarity, as voting rights of thousands and lakhs of people have been removed elsewhere. We are determined to prevent such occurrences in Tamil Nadu," Kanimozhi remarked, alluding to similar controversies that emerged in Bihar.

Her comments come as the SIR - a comprehensive verification and revision of voter lists - has become a contentious political issue in Bihar, where assembly elections are scheduled for November. The Election Commission's plans to implement a similar process in Tamil Nadu has already ignited political discussions, with parties vigilantly monitoring its parameters and timeline.

The Special Intensive Revision represents an extensive audit of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries, including deceased voters, migrants, or multiple registrations, while incorporating newly eligible citizens. The Commission maintains that this process is fundamental to preserving the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls.

In Bihar, the SIR has generated widespread allegations of disenfranchisement, with opposition parties claiming that 64 lakh legitimate voters, particularly migrants, minorities, and economically disadvantaged individuals, have been arbitrarily removed from voter lists. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described it as a "vote-stealing conspiracy," suggesting the process is being manipulated to benefit the ruling BJP. The INDIA bloc, comprising Congress, RJD, and Left parties, has initiated state-wide demonstrations and a "Voter Adhikar Yatra" to highlight what they term "mass voter deletions."

The BJP has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated, arguing that the SIR represents a necessary clean-up of voter lists that have been neglected for years.

The Election Commission has defended the process, asserting that it is conducted transparently under constitutional authority and that all objections and claims are being properly addressed.

Following legal petitions, the Supreme Court instructed the Election Commission to publish district-wise details of deleted voters and allow citizens to reapply using Aadhaar or any of eleven other accepted identity documents. The Court emphasized that Aadhaar serves only as proof of identity, not citizenship.

With Tamil Nadu scheduled for assembly elections next year, the anticipated implementation of SIR has prompted the DMK to issue early instructions to its cadres to verify and assist voters throughout the process.

The ruling DMK maintains its strong alliance and aims to secure a fourth consecutive victory following its comprehensive success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

For the primary opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the upcoming election represents a critical juncture after experiencing three consecutive electoral defeats since 2019. The party has renewed its alliance with the BJP.

Kanimozhi's statements highlight the ruling party's commitment to prevent any "confusion" or disenfranchisement, ensuring that what the opposition refers to as "the Bihar experience" does not repeat in Tamil Nadu.