DMK To Hold Statewide Protests Tomorrow Against Voter List Revision In Tamil Nadu

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will hold statewide protests across Tamil Nadu tomorrow, including a major demonstration in Chennai, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

The DMK has alleged that the exercise is being carried out in haste, amid the northeast monsoon, and without adequate training for enumerators, which it says could result in widespread errors and omissions. The party has also pointed to confusion in the enumeration forms, claiming that the process lacks transparency and preparedness.

Politically, the DMK views the SIR as an attempt to disenfranchise anti-BJP voters, citing the removal of about 64 lakh names in Bihar during a similar revision. The party has already moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the exercise in Tamil Nadu, arguing that it could deny voting rights to lakhs of genuine electors.

The AIADMK, the state's main opposition and a BJP ally, has backed the SIR and filed an impleading petition in the Supreme Court supporting the Election Commission's move.

Both the BJP and the Election Commission have denied the DMK's allegations. The poll body has claimed that the Bihar exercise recorded zero claims and objections and was a huge success, insisting that the ongoing revision follows due procedure.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has cited irregularities in voter rolls in several states, including Karnataka and Haryana, and described the SIR as "theft of votes."

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Election Commission to ensure transparency and to include Aadhaar as an acceptable document in the verification process. The opposition, however, alleges that the poll body has not complied fully with these directions.

With the principal opposition party at the Centre and several opposition-ruled states expressing distrust in the Election Commission, concerns are growing over whether such skepticism could dent the credibility of the poll panel - and whether it should address every doubt and question more transparently to uphold public confidence in India's electoral process.