The DMK has thrown its weight behind the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests against SIR and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while also distancing itself from the Congress that has been spearheading the political protest against the poll body.
The political positioning was spelt out at a meeting of DMK MPs chaired by party president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday. The meeting resolved to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, scrap SIR and restore ballot papers, while accusing the Congress and the ruling TVK of adopting double standards on the electoral roll revision.
The party's resolution explicitly refers to the CJP and other student movements, while its concluding statement extends support to protests launched by democratic forces against SIR.
"The DMK stands with the youth of India," Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, DMK deputy general secretary and parliamentary party leader, had said after participating in a student protest against SIR in Chennai on Friday.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Former CM and DMK president MK Stalin chairs a meeting of party MPs on various issues, including SIR. Visuals from the party headquarters. https://t.co/5xxVtovIMv
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2026
Asked if the DMK would align with the CJP, MP A Raja said the outfit is yet to become a political party. Citing Congress leader P Chidambaram's assessment that CJP had the potential to evolve into a political party and make an impact, Raja said he reiterated the same view.
The DMK reiterates that the party will not participate in any activity alongside what it calls the "backstabbing" Congress, while accusing it of attempting to appropriate a movement that gained momentum through student and youth mobilisation.
Notably, Stalin has been very vocal over the last few days on the crackdown on the protesters. On Thursday he spoke strongly against the detention of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke ahead of the Tiranga march.
Upping the ante against the Centre, Stalin stated that the crackdown will only make the protests stronger.
"Where is @abhijeet_dipke? Where is @neha_aisa? Detaining them without disclosing their whereabouts is blatantly illegal and deeply inhumane. The Union Government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests. Every attempt to crush the movement will only make it stronger," he posted on X.
Where is @abhijeet_dipke? Where is @neha_aisa? Detaining them without disclosing their whereabouts is blatantly illegal and deeply inhumane. The Union Government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests. Every attempt to crush the movement will only make it stronger. #GyaneshKumarMustGo. The Union BJP Government has no other option. @cockroachisback @SFI_CEC @AISA_Official_ @Aishe_Ghosh @SauravDassss @AshutoshRanka @Dhruv_Rathee #CJP #Delhi
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 16, 2026
He ended his post with #GyaneshKumarMustGo. "The Union BJP Government has no other option."
Earlier, Stalin had also lashed out at the detention of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das for a flash protest at Jantar Mantar.
"How many protestors can this government detain? How many young voices can the BJP silence?" Stalin had posted.
He had also added that DMK will provide legal assistance to the CJP in its struggle.
How many protestors can this government detain? How many young voices can the BJP silence? The more young people they jail, the more ordinary citizens, with no political affiliation, will take to the streets and show them the true power of the people! Solidarity with @AshutoshRanka and @SauravDassss! The DMK stands ready to provide them with all necessary legal representation and support. ✊🏾 #CJP #GyaneshKumarMustGo
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 14, 2026
NDTV has learnt that DMK has over the past few days been exploring cobbling up a third front and has approached the CJP and some regional leaders.
Since its divorce with the Congress in Tamil Nadu, the DMK has been keeping its distance from the INDIA bloc and is now looking at opening a new front in the fight against SIR.
Some reports have also claimed that Stalin may meet Dipke in the coming days, further fuelling speculation around a third front bid.
If the DMK succeeds in bringing these parties together, the move could deepen the divisions within the INDIA bloc and reshape opposition alignments ahead of the next round of Assembly elections.
The DMK's outreach to CJP is also being seen as a strategic attempt to reconnect with young voters who catapulted Vijay to power.
TVK and DMK have been attacking each other over SIR. NDTV Photo
The DMK questioned why the Congress was criticising it over the issue while remaining silent on the TVK's refusal to directly target the Chief Election Commissioner or the BJP. It also alleged that the TVK had secret ties with the BJP, citing Vijay's silence on SIR and Gyanesh Kumar, along with other developments involving the state administration and the Governor.
The resolution claimed that the Congress initially stayed away from the student-led protests before extending support as the movement gathered momentum. It also accused the Congress of taking different positions on SIR in different states, particularly Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The DMK's political machinations also come amid speculation around a special session of Parliament that the government is likely to call later this month to push the delimitation and women's reservation bills that failed the test of the House earlier this year.
At Satuday's meeting MK Stalin told his MPs that the party will deal with delimitation issue when it comes in Parliament.
While DMK has been one of the fiercest critics of delimitation, sources have told NDTV that the BJP has opened channels with the party with 22 MPs after its break-up with the Congress.
Sources in the government have told NDTV that they hope to secure the DMK's support, especially after assurance of a 50% across-the-board seat increase.
