Tamil Nadu's Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists Sparks Political Controversy Ahead of 2026 Elections

Chennai:

The Special Intensive Revision of voter lists or SIR was launched across several states today. This includes Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - states where assembly elections are scheduled for next year. This morning, Booth Level Officers or BLOs began distributing renumeration forms door-to-door in Tamil Nadu.

The Greater Chennai Corporation organized meetings across all 16 constituencies of the city, where Electoral Registration Officers provided clarification about the SIR process to Booth Level Agents.

Applicants need to complete and sign the forms before submitting them to the Booth Level Officers.

Only individuals who submit completed forms will have their names included in the draft voters list. BLOs will visit each household at least three times to ensure no voter is overlooked.

The ruling DMK and its allies, however, have strongly opposed the SIR exercise. Chief Minister MK Stalin has led an all-party meeting, describing the initiative as "undemocratic" and "unlawful".

The party has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the Election Commission of India's order dated October 27, which announced the SIR notification for Tamil Nadu.

While the DMK has clarified it is not against the SIR process itself, the party has questioned the urgency with which it is being implemented, expressing concern over a possible BJP conspiracy to remove women, minorities, and Dalit voters from the list.

The party has demanded that SIR be conducted only after the 2026 elections, allowing sufficient time for preparation.

The BJP and AIADMK have offered their support to SIR, calling it a routine process. The AIADMK has accused the DMK of attempting to divert attention from recent corruption allegations against the ruling party.

While legally challenging SIR, the DMK has simultaneously initiated ground-level preparations, including training its booth-level agents. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami has instructed his party's booth agents to coordinate with Booth Level Officers during the process.