Multi-party meeting chaired by TN CM Stalin decides to approach Supreme Court against SIR

A multi-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai on Sunday (November 2, 2025) decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Tamil Nadu.

The meeting charged the exercise is anti-democratic and against the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu, as the Supreme Court is yet to deliver its verdict on the issue in the Bihar SIR case.

“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,” said a resolution adopted at the meeting.

The AIADMK, the main Opposition party headed by former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, boycotted the meeting. The 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 also stayed away.

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.