With only eight days left for the enumeration phase of Tamil Nadu’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to conclude, as many as 84.91 lakh voter forms have been classified as “uncollectable”, raising concerns that these names may be removed from the draft electoral rolls scheduled for publication on 16 December 2025.

According to data accessed on Wednesday morning, the uncollectable category currently accounts for 13.24% of the State’s 6.41 crore electorate.

Breakdown of the 84.91 Lakh Uncollectable Forms

• Permanently Shifted: 44.22 lakh
• Deceased: 26.18 lakh (as per TNIE report)
• Absent: 10.73 lakh
• Already Enrolled (Duplicate): 3.5 lakh

These figures remain provisional and are subject to revision.

CEO Clarifies Process Still Ongoing

In a statement on Wednesday evening, the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office stressed that the SIR exercise is still underway and that the list of uncollectable entries is being shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties for scrutiny before preparing the draft rolls. The final classification of uncollectable forms will be completed only after December 11, the last day of the enumeration phase.

Officials reiterated that deletions would be finalised only after due verification and that any eligible voter omitted from the draft roll may file claims or objections from December 16 to mid-January 2026.

Wide Variation Across Districts

SIR data revealed significant district-level variations:

• Ariyalur recorded the lowest uncollectable share: 4.3% (23,000 of 5.31 lakh voters)
• Chennai recorded the highest: 31.78% (12.73 lakh of 40.05 lakh voters) — nearly one in three electors
• Chengalpattu followed with 20.7% uncollectable forms (5.78 lakh)

Officials attributed Chennai’s high “Permanently Shifted” numbers to rapid urbanisation and residential mobility.

Digitisation Figures: Clarifying Confusion

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier stated that Tamil Nadu achieved:

• 99.45% distribution of SIR forms (6.38 crore)
• 94.32% digitisation of forms (6.05 crore)

However, a detailed internal report accessed Wednesday showed that actual digitisation of returned forms stands at 82.57% (5.29 crore), excluding uncollectable forms. When uncollectable forms are included in the EC’s category of “digitised”, the percentage becomes 95.81%.

Officials confirmed that the 82.57% figure represents voters whose forms were returned and digitised, meaning their names are expected to appear on the draft rolls unless removed during AERO/ERO verification — a scenario described as “highly unlikely.”

Statewide Picture: 59 Lakh Names Set for Deletion, 24 Lakh Deceased Identified

Parallel ECI data as of 29 November 2025 (10 p.m.) showed that:

• 58.91 lakh voters did not return their enumeration forms (9.19% of total electorate)
• 23.83 lakh among them were identified as deceased

Overall, around 59 lakh names may be deleted for reasons including death, untraceability, duplicate entry, and permanent shifting.

At a recent press briefing, Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik confirmed that deletions would be carried out under five categories:

1. Death
2. Untraceable
3. Permanently Shifted
4. Duplicate Entry
5. Other Reasons

Constituency-Level Impact: Chennai Worst Hit

Chennai’s 16 constituencies could see 5.72 lakh voters removed from the rolls:

• 1.29 lakh deceased
• 4.12 lakh permanently shifted
• 10,614 duplicate entries
• Other major districts with high unreturned forms:
• Chengalpattu: 4.39 lakh
• Tiruvallur: 3.36 lakh

Highest Impact Constituencies

Pallavaram (Chengalpattu): 1.43 lakh of 4.44 lakh voters failed to submit forms

Chepauk–Tiruvallikeni (DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s constituency): 72,950 unsubmitted forms

SIR Drive: 68,470 BLOs on the Ground

The Special Intensive Revision began on November 4 with a workforce of 68,470 Booth Level Officers conducting door-to-door enumeration. The draft electoral roll will be released on December 16, after which citizens may raise objections or seek restoration until 15 January 2026.

Officials emphasised that the current numbers would continue to change until the enumeration deadline, and the final voter count will only be known once the draft roll is published.

(Source: DTNext & The New Indian Express)

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The post TN SIR Review Shows Over 24 Lakh Deceased Voters, 84.91 Lakh Uncollectable Voter Forms appeared first on The Commune.

The death of 41-year-old booth-level officer (BLO) Aneesh George in Kannur’s Ettukudukka has triggered widespread protests across Kerala, with government employees’ unions and political parties alleging extreme pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Aneesh, who worked as a school attendant and BLO for Booth No. 18 in the Payyannur constituency, was found hanging at his home on November 16.

Family and Neighbours Cite Severe Work Stress

Residents said that Aneesh appeared distressed due to the workload. Neighbour Shyju V K said Aneesh had taken his family to church in the morning and returned home before taking the extreme step, and that although he had struggled to identify a few houses during his BLO work, he managed with help from others. Family members said he left behind his wife and two children.

A case of unnatural death under BNSS 194 was registered at Peringome Police Station. His brother-in-law Saiju said Aneesh had not been getting enough time to eat or sleep properly and had been under significant strain to complete SIR-related tasks. He also alleged that senior officers had frequently contacted Aneesh for updates, adding that Aneesh’s father had even advised him not to worry about losing his job due to the workload. His body was handed over to the family after post-mortem.

Collector Says No Evidence of Work-Related Pressure

Kannur District Collector Arun K Vijayan, IAS, said that a preliminary inquiry had shown no indication that Aneesh was under work pressure. He stated that Aneesh had been performing well as a BLO and had completed over 77% of the first phase of the SIR exercise. The Collector added that the Chief Electoral Officer had sought a detailed report and that a consolidated version would be sent after combining inputs from the Electoral Registration Officer and the police.

The CEO’s office also said there was no established link between the suicide and SIR duties, noting that all necessary support had been provided.

Statewide Boycott by BLOs; Protests at Collectorates

The incident prompted BLOs across the state to boycott SIR duties on Monday. Government employees’ unions, including the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers and the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, held protests at district collectorates demanding that excessive pressure be stopped and that the SIR schedule be reconsidered.

The Kerala NGO Association also staged statewide protests calling for the suspension of SIR activities to prevent further tragedies.

Despite the boycott call, many BLOs reportedly continued their duties due to the pending workload ahead of the December 4 deadline set by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Congress Alleges CPI(M) Pressure on BLO

The Congress claimed that Aneesh had also faced political intimidation from CPI(M) workers in his area. Kannur DCC member Rajith Narath said the CPI(M) local leadership had reportedly objected to a Congress booth-level agent accompanying Aneesh during house visits for enumeration. He alleged that the intention was to retain invalid names, including those of deceased voters, those who had shifted residences, and duplicate entries on the electoral rolls.

According to him, the area had a history of blocking non-CPI(M) booth agents during elections, and he cited concerns that votes were often cast in the names of those who were dead or no longer residing in the area. He also said that although the SIR process would help remove such names, CPI(M) workers were reluctant because it would reduce their vote base.

He added that Aneesh had filed a complaint with the District Collector days before his death but that no action had been taken.

Leaked Phone Call Fuels Controversy

A recorded phone conversation, released by the Kannur District Congress Committee, purportedly between Aneesh and a Congress booth agent Vysakh, indicated that Aneesh had told him he was under pressure not to allow the Congress agent to accompany him.

Kannur District Congress Committee president Martin George alleged that threats from CPI(M) workers had contributed to Aneesh’s suicide and that workload alone could not explain the incident. He claimed the conversation supported these allegations.

According to him, CPI(M) booth-level agent Rafeek had threatened Aneesh, and instead of allowing the officially designated BLA to accompany the BLO, a former CPI(M) branch secretary and other party workers had been accompanying him during the SIR enumeration. Martin George said the CPI(M) was attempting to retain bogus voters in the Alappadamba panchayat and that identifying such entries through the revised electoral roll could have placed Aneesh in a difficult position.

As reported in Mathrubhumi English, in the audio clip, Aneesh was heard telling Vysakh not to accompany him from the next day, reportedly saying that some individuals were strongly opposing it and intended to block his presence. When Vysakh asked who was creating the obstruction, Aneesh replied that he would explain it in person. Vysakh was heard advising him to report the matter to senior officials, arguing that he was accompanying the BLO as per Election Commission guidelines. Aneesh responded that Vysakh could file a complaint stating that he was not being allowed to join the enumeration and that the situation was difficult because the area was dominated by certain groups.

Congress leaders argued that the call reflected the political pressure Aneesh had been facing.

CPI(M) Kannur district secretary KK Ragesh dismissed these allegations, saying the incident was being misinterpreted for political gain.

Opposition Demands Accountability

Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said initial information suggested that CPI(M) interference should be investigated and alleged that both the CPI(M) and BJP were attempting to manipulate the electoral roll. He urged the state government and the ECI to ensure the safety of BLOs and stated that the short deadline placed excessive burden on officers, most of whom were women.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph said a phone call indicated that CPI(M) workers had allegedly threatened Aneesh with a false complaint. He argued that such political pressure, combined with work strain, pushed Aneesh to suicide. Joseph also criticised the ECI for implementing SIR after local body election announcements and said the Congress would approach the Supreme Court against the process.

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A political confrontation erupted in Tamil Nadu after Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on a recently held “Knowledge Festival” drew a sharp rebuttal from BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. The exchange has quickly intensified into a public war of words, with both leaders accusing each other of arrogance and political insecurity.

What Udhayanidhi Said 

Speaking at an event, Udhayanidhi said, “A person with wisdom organizes a knowledge festival. During that knowledge festival, when we criticize them, they get angry, just like a thief fears the police… just hearing the word ‘knowledge’ shocks them.”

His comments were widely circulated on social media, drawing applause from DMK supporters but criticism from opponents.

Tamilisai Responds: “Don’t Be Arrogant”

Reacting to his statements, Tamilisai Soundararajan launched a direct attack on the Deputy Chief Minister’s political rise and credibility.

She said, “This morning I saw Udhayanidhi’s interview. He was speaking on TV, saying only knowledgeable people organize knowledge festivals, that those who lack knowledge need not worry about it. So, is Udhayanidhi claiming to be wise? Did you become the Deputy Chief Minister because you are wise? You became Deputy Chief Minister by inheritance. Don’t be arrogant!”

She further said, “Mr. Udhayanidhi, don’t be arrogant. You organized the knowledge festival, gave it a big name, and now you’re speaking as if you alone are knowledgeable, and others are not. Don’t be arrogant. Just intellect alone doesn’t make you Deputy Chief Minister.”

Countering Udhayanidhi’s ‘Thief and Police’ Analogy

Udhayanidhi’s analogy, linking critics of the festival to thieves who fear the police, also came under attack.

She added, “He had said only thieves fear the police—fear comes to a thief when he sees the police. That’s why, when they see us, they’re afraid.”

Tamilisai shot back: “I’ll turn that statement back: Why are you afraid of the SIR (Special Investigation Report/list)? You are afraid because you’re involved in vote theft. That’s why you fear the SIR.”

She went further, alleging electoral malpractice: “How did you win before? You yourself admit that you won using fake voters.”

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The post “Don’t Be Arrogant”: BJP Leader Tamilisai Soundararajan Hits Back After Dy CM Udhayanidhi Says Only “Wise” People Hold Knowledge Festivals appeared first on The Commune.

The results of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections have once again exposed a fundamental truth about the Congress–RJD ecosystem: when they lose, they don’t introspect — they manufacture conspiracy theories. Their latest excuse is not just desperate, it is mathematically absurd. According to their melodramatic script, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise “deleted 65 lakh voters” — all, by some miracle, exclusively from their own support base.

This claim would have been laughable if it wasn’t being peddled so seriously.

The Numbers Completely Busts The 65-Lakh Deletion Myth

Let’s examine the official vote counts from 2020 and 2025 — numbers that don’t bend for convenient propaganda:

2025 Bihar Assembly Elections:

BJP: 10,081,143

JDU: 9,667,118

RJD: 11,546,055

INC: 4,374,579

2020 Bihar Assembly Elections:

BJP: 8,202,067

JDU: 6,485,179

RJD: 9,738,855

INC: 3,995,319

Now look at what actually happened:

BJP gained 18 lakh votes.

JDU gained 31 lakh votes.

RJD gained 18 lakh votes.

Congress gained nearly 4 lakh votes.

Yes — even the Congress party that is shouting the loudest about “deleted voters” saw its vote tally increase. Yes — even RJD, the supposed “victim,” saw its vote count swell by 18 lakh.

In fact in absolute terms, RJD has got more votes than BJP.

If 65 lakh opposition voters were genuinely deleted, how on earth are all major parties, including Congress and RJD, showing substantial gains?

The 65-Lakh Claim Is Nothing More Than A Excuse To Cover Incompetency

For weeks, the Congress–RJD camp has ranted about “6.5 million voters” being removed. But if such a massive and targeted deletion had really happened:

Opposition vote totals would have collapsed.

At the very least, they would have stagnated.

Instead, we see the opposite: Growth across all major parties — including those screaming conspiracy.

The 65-lakh bogeyman is nothing but a post-defeat pacifier for Rahul Gandhi who suffered a humiliating defeat on Children’s Day.

Higher Turnout, More Votes, Zero Suppression

The 2025 election saw a more engaged electorate. More people voted. More votes were cast for every major party. A state that supposedly lost 65 lakh voters somehow clocked higher participation — a statistical impossibility if the Congress–RJD story were even remotely true.

So Why Did Congress–RJD Lose? 

Their loss had nothing to do with voter rolls and everything to do with: uninspiring leadership, stale messaging, weak organisation, and the utter lack of a coherent vision for Bihar.

Blaming SIR is simply their way of dodging accountability — a refusal to confront the fact that Bihar rejected them on politics, performance, and credibility.

The 65-Lakh Myth Has No Legs

Data is a stubborn, unforgiving thing. And Bihar’s 2025 numbers make one fact crystal clear:

There was no mass disenfranchisement.
There was no 65-lakh deletion.
The 65-lakh excuse is only a facade to cover Rahul Gandhi’s miserable leadership.

The people of Bihar weren’t robbed of their votes.
They just showed two dynasts their aukaat.

S. Kaushik is a political writer.

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The post Busting The ’65-Lakh Voters Deleted’ Propaganda: Bihar’s Numbers Reveal Congress-RJD Did Not Lose Because OF SIR appeared first on The Commune.

Bihar election has put a full stop to vote theft allegations.

The accusation is that 6.8 million (68 lakh) voters were removed in the SIR (Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls). Opposition parties claim all of these were INDIA alliance voters.

This 6.8 million represents 10% of Bihar’s total voters.

If the Election Commission had removed genuine voters as INDIA alliance parties claim, this number should have been reflected in voter turnout.

Bihar’s average voter turnout is 60%.

If vote theft occurred, if INDIA alliance’s accusation is true, voter turnout in this election should have decreased by up to 10%.

But voter turnout has created history. 67% has been recorded.

So where are the 10% voters removed by the Election Commission?

In Bihar where an average of 60 out of 100 people vote, this time 67 people have voted. The fact that this happened even after removing 10% voters confirms that the Election Commission removed only fake and deceased voters. It becomes crystal clear that what Rahul calls vote theft and what INDIA alliance parties say is a lie.

If what I.N.D.I. alliance says is true, they must explain how voter turnout increased. Moreover, if 10% genuine voters were removed, and that too voters who were going to vote for I.N.D.I. alliance, then 67% recorded votes + 10% excluded votes would total 77%. Since such voter turnout has never happened in Bihar’s history, we can understand that Rahul’s accusation is false.

The recorded votes in Bihar election itself are witness to the fact that the Election Commission’s SIR process has been conducted very fairly and honestly.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s accusation that women’s votes were going to be removed has also been proven false in the Bihar election. 71.6% women have voted in this election, which is unprecedented.

Opposition parties must stop deceiving people by telling lies about vote theft anymore.

This is sufficient proof that the Election Commission has restored credibility in itself.

Ideaman Mahadevan is a writer and political commentator.

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The post Busting The ‘Congress-RJD Lost Because Of SIR’ Propaganda: Here’s What Bihar’s Numbers Reveal appeared first on The Commune.

In a dramatic electoral twist, the high-profile intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in the Bihar assembly elections appears to have had a negative effect for the Congress and RJD.

The BJP won Muzaffarpur with 1,00,477 votes with a thumping 32,657-vote margin, the very constituency where MK Stalin canvassed votes.

Just a few months ago, Stalin stood alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav at a massive rally in Muzaffarpur, where he sharply criticized the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. His rhetoric, framing the voter list revision as an attempt to disenfranchise opposition supporters, was meant to resonate with Bihar’s voters and showcase his growing stature within the I.N.D.I. bloc.

However, as counting trends solidified, BJP candidate Rakesh Kumar established a commanding lead of over 32000 votes in the same constituency, delivering a significant blow to the opposition alliance.

Did DMK’s Anti-Hindi Politics Cost Votes For Congress-RJD?

For years, the DMK has built its politics on aggressive anti-Hindi posturing, turning language into a battlefield and Hindi speakers into convenient punching bags. Inside Tamil Nadu, this rhetoric may energise the Dravidian base. But outside the state — especially in the Hindi belt — it creates deep resentment, suspicion, and a sense that the DMK views north Indians as culturally inferior or unwelcome.

DMK leaders have repeatedly taken potshots at Hindi-speaking states, mocked Hindi speakers working in Tamil Nadu, and painted the north as intellectually backward or socially regressive. These aren’t harmless quips; they reinforce a perception that the DMK’s worldview stops at the borders of Tamil Nadu. When such remarks circulate nationally, they don’t remain “Tamil Nadu-specific politics” — they become a stain on every party that chooses to ally with the DMK.

This is where the Congress–RJD alliance walks straight into trouble. Their silence on DMK’s anti-Hindi outbursts signals tacit approval and ends up alienating the very voters they desperately need across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The BJP doesn’t even need to invent narratives — it simply points to DMK’s own words to claim that the opposition coalition disrespects Hindi speakers. And in the Hindi-speaking heartland, respect and recognition matter far more than clever political theories.

Even worse, the hypocrisy is obvious to voters. While loudly decrying “Hindi imposition,” several DMK leaders privately benefit from Hindi-medium education and CBSE schools. Voters see this for what it is: elitist double-speak. It weakens Congress and RJD further, making them look like partners to a party that mocks the very people whose votes they seek.

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The post Bihar Election Result: BJP Wins And Congress-RJD Faces Massive Loss In Constituency Where MK Stalin Campaigned; Did DMK’s Anti-Hindi Politics Cost Congress-RJD Votes? appeared first on The Commune.

Political tensions have escalated sharply in Tamil Nadu over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK trading serious allegations of manipulation and voter targeting ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Eyewitness videos and local testimonies suggest that several individuals, unauthorised by the Election Commission, have been visiting homes under the guise of government officials to collect or verify voter data.

In one such incident recorded on video and now circulating widely, a resident confronts a woman engaged in voter roll work, asking who authorised her to perform official duties. The woman admits she is not a government-appointed BLO and was just helping the man, John Sundararaj, a Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS), and he also accepted that even he was not the BLO.

The lady who was seen collecting information/forms continued claiming she was asked to “help” him, as he had to step out.

The lady inadvertently tells the person recording the video that she belongs to the DMK IT Wing and was just helping the man with the voter verification work.

The @arivalayam while acting like they oppose #SIR one side very silently try to hijack the entire exercise by replacing govt appointed Booth level officers with their own party people. This is the malpractice which helps them win elections. The #ElectionCommission must… pic.twitter.com/kaMJTB3xpS

— Vinoj P Selvam (@VinojBJP) November 10, 2025

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has launched severe accusations against the DMK, alleging that party-affiliated officials are covertly conducting door-to-door revisions. He has further claimed that DMK members are being strategically planted as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to systematically remove AIADMK supporters from the rolls in preparation for the 2026 Assembly elections.

The DMK, which has already challenged the SIR process in the Supreme Court, counters that the revision is a disguised effort to disenfranchise minority and economically disadvantaged voters.

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The post Dravidian Model SIR: DMK IT Wing Member Allegedly Caught Handling Voter List Revision Duties Without Appointment appeared first on The Commune.

Congress MP S. Jothimani on Saturday accused the Election Commission of using the Special Revision of Voter List (SIR) exercise to deliberately remove voters from electoral rolls in opposition-ruled states. She alleged that the process, currently underway in 12 states including Tamil Nadu and two Union Territories, was politically motivated and lacked transparency.

Speaking to reporters at her constituency office in Karur on November 2, Jothimani said the India Alliance was united in opposing the SIR initiative. “SIR is being carried out with the intention of removing voters. That is why an all-party meeting was convened to strongly oppose it,” she said.

New Voter Verification Process Raises Concerns

Jothimani said that political parties were recently trained on the new voter list revision process and were given unfamiliar forms that went far beyond the standard update procedures.

“Earlier, voter list revisions meant simply updating existing rolls by adding new voters and removing deceased persons,” she explained. “But this time, the format and information sought are entirely new and confusing.”

She cited reports from Bihar, where around 65 lakh voters were reportedly removed through SIR, leading to a court case.

According to Jothimani, the new voter verification form asks for extensive personal details including the voter’s name, ID number, section and constituency details, date of birth, Aadhaar number (optional), mobile number, and family members’ names and ID numbers. It also seeks information about relatives who were present in the 2002 special revision list, requiring submission of death certificates for those no longer alive.

“This requirement is unreasonable,” she said. “Not everyone has access to death certificates, especially in rural areas. If the form is incomplete or filled incorrectly, it risks being rejected, resulting in voter deletion.”

“Election Commission Exceeding Its Mandate”

Jothimani alleged that the Election Commission (EC) was overstepping its authority by verifying the citizenship of voters – a task she said falls under the Home Ministry’s jurisdiction.

“The EC is acting as a puppet of the BJP,” she claimed. “It is exceeding its powers and attempting to disqualify legitimate voters under the guise of verification. This is nothing but an attempt to tamper with the democratic process.”

She said the India Alliance would continue to challenge the move and defend the voting rights of citizens across the affected states.

“The Election Commission is carrying out the BJP’s agenda of destroying our credibility. The opposition will not stay silent while voters in Tamil Nadu and other states are deliberately removed in the name of special electoral roll revision,” Jothimani said.

(Source: Hindu Tamil)

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A major political confrontation has erupted in Tamil Nadu after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the ruling DMK and its allies alleging a “conspiracy to snatch away the voting rights of the people” and the BJP accusing the opposition of “appalling double standards.”

The controversy intensified hours after the ECI’s announcement, which covers 12 states including the poll-bound Tamil Nadu. The DMK-led alliance, in a strongly worded resolution, called for an all-party meeting on 2 November 2025 to decide its next course of action.

DMK’s Allegations of a “Bihar Model” and Disenfranchisement

In a strongly worded resolution, the DMK-led alliance, headed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, described the SIR exercise as a “conspiracy to snatch away the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu.” It drew parallels with the large-scale voter deletions reported in Bihar earlier this year.

Citing what it termed “credible information” that several lakh voters were removed in Bihar and that only a fraction were later restored, the DMK said the deletions had disproportionately affected Muslims, Dalits, and women. It expressed concern that a similar pattern could unfold in Tamil Nadu under the pretext of voter list correction.

The resolution also referred to the Supreme Court’s recent directive to the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as a valid proof to safeguard genuine voters – an order the DMK accused the EC of not implementing. “Why is the Election Commission refusing to accept Aadhaar as a complete document? Why not accept our demand to include family cards?” the party asked, calling the poll body’s approach “controversial and suspicious.”

The alliance clarified that it was not opposed to voter list revisions in principle but objected to the timing and methodology. Conducting such an extensive exercise during the northeast monsoon months of November and December, it said, was “impractical and ill-conceived,” likely to cause hardship to lakhs of voters asked to affix photos and attach downloaded copies of old electoral rolls.

“Under the guise of SIR, we fear a repeat of the Bihar model of voter deletions. Tamil Nadu will not allow this,” the statement declared, urging political parties to unite against what it called an “undemocratic move.”

Echoing this on social media, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote, “#SIR in Tamil Nadu: We will resist disenfranchisement and defeat #VoteTheft.

To carry out Special Intensive Revision just months before the election, and especially during the monsoon months of November and December, brings serious practical difficulties. To conduct SIR in a hasty and opaque manner is nothing but a conspiracy by the ECI to rob citizens of their rights and help the BJP.

In Bihar, large numbers of women, minorities and people from SC and ST communities were removed from the electoral rolls, and the absence of transparency has fuelled serious suspicion in the public mind.

Now the ECI has announced that #SIR will begin in Tamil Nadu from next week. Following the announcement, we held discussions with our alliance partners, and on that basis an all party meeting will be convened on 2 November to decide the next course of action.

The right to vote is the foundation of democracy. Tamil Nadu will fight against any attempt to murder it, and Tamil Nadu will win.”

#SIR in Tamil Nadu: We will resist disenfranchisement and defeat #VoteTheft.

To carry out Special Intensive Revision just months before the election, and especially during the monsoon months of November and December, brings serious practical difficulties. To conduct SIR in a… pic.twitter.com/wXUXuZUkyp

— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) October 27, 2025

BJP’s Rebuttal: “Hollow Understanding” and “Selective Amnesia”

BJP state president K. Annamalai issued a sharp rebuttal, calling Stalin’s stance “appalling double standards.”

“The Intensive revisions of electoral rolls, in all or some parts of the country, have been undertaken 12 times earlier… Clearly, this is not the first time,” Annamalai stated.

He dismissed the DMK’s reliance on the Bihar example, saying, “We request that Thiru Stalin avl not rely on the imagination of Thiru Tejashwi Yadav on the deletion of electoral rolls of a certain section of people in Bihar.”

In a detailed counter, the BJP leader highlighted the DMK’s own past demands for rigorous voter list revisions. He pointed to the party’s 2016 claim of 57.43 lakh “bogus voters” in the state, its 2017 petition to the Madras High Court for voter list revision ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll, and its formal representation to the Election Commission requesting Aadhaar linking and door-to-door checks.

“Thiru MK Stalin, have you forgotten the time when you sought the intervention of the Hon Madras High Court for the revision of electoral rolls?” Annamalai asked. “The sanctity of democracy rests on the integrity of the electoral roll, and one hopes that the DMK rediscovers this wisdom, sparing the state another episode of selective amnesia.”

Appalling double standards of Tamil Nadu CM Thiru @mkstalin on the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll in Tamil Nadu, and the assumption that the SIR of electoral rolls is some conspiracy, shows how hollow his understanding is.

The Intensive revisions of electoral… https://t.co/bRpBR9mqDi

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 28, 2025

Meanwhile, the AIADMK, now re-allied with the BJP, welcomed the ECI’s move, urging it to be carried out “in an orderly and transparent manner,” and accused the DMK of “preparing excuses in advance for its defeat in the 2026 elections.”

Separately, the DMK organised a workshop in Mamallapuram for more than 3,000 poll functionaries on Monday, addressed by Chief Minister Stalin, to strategise ahead of the SIR and the 2026 elections.

(Source: NDTV)

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In a recent submission to the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) disclosed that during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, requests for the deletion of names far exceeded those seeking inclusion by nearly six times between 22 and 30 August 2025.

This period followed the apex court’s decision on 22 August 2025, which allowed voters to use Aadhaar as a standalone identity document when filing claims or objections under the ongoing revision drive. While this move was expected to ease the process and boost inclusion applications, actual numbers told a different story.

The ECI reported that only 22,723 requests for inclusion were submitted during that week, in contrast to a staggering 1,34,738 objections calling for name deletions from the draft voter list.

Representing the poll body, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi explained that many of these objections stemmed from voters identifying that their names were duplicated in other constituencies or needed removal due to reasons such as death or relocation.

Following the release of the draft electoral roll on 1 August 2025, approximately 65 lakh voters were removed, reducing Bihar’s voter count from 7.89 crore to 7.24 crore. The ECI noted these removals were largely due to duplication, permanent migration, or death.

Claims Still Open After September 1, Says ECI

During the hearing, petitioners including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), represented by Senior Advocate Shoaib Alam, and lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi, had sought an extension of the deadline to 15 September 2025, citing ongoing challenges.

However, the Election Commission clarified that while 1 September 2025 marked the formal end of the initial phase, claims and objections will still be accepted beyond this date. Any submissions made after the deadline would be processed post-finalisation of the electoral roll but before the final list is submitted at the time of nominations.

“The process for filing claims, objections, or corrections continues up to the last date for filing nominations. All changes will be reflected in the final roll,” the ECI explained in its note to the bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi.

Political Parties Criticised for Inaction

The ECI also raised concerns over the lack of involvement from most political parties. Apart from the RJD and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation – CPI(ML-L), the commission stated that none of the other recognized parties had taken steps to assist excluded voters in filing Form 6, the official request for inclusion.

“Other than RJD and CPI(ML-L), no political party not even through their booth-level agents (BLAs) helped any of the nearly 65 lakh excluded individuals file their claims,” the ECI said, pointing out a major lapse despite having 1.6 lakh BLAs on the ground.

Parties named in the court order include: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M), Indian National Congress, National People’s Party (NPP), Janata Dal (United) – JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) – LJP-RV, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP)

During the claims period, the total forms received from all political parties stood at 128, 103 forms requested deletion and only 25 forms were for inclusion.

In contrast, individual voters were significantly more active, submitting, 33,326 inclusion forms, 2,07,565 deletion forms (Form 7)

Concerned by the apparent disconnect between voters and political parties, Justice Kant observed signs of a “trust deficit.” The bench directed the Chairperson of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to mobilize paralegal volunteers across all districts. These volunteers are to assist individuals and parties in filing corrections, claims, and objections, and will be required to submit confidential reports to the respective District and Sessions Judges.

The ECI assured the court that 99.5% of the 7.24 crore voters listed in the draft roll had already provided their eligibility documents. The verification process for these submissions is currently underway and is expected to be completed by September 25, 2025, in line with the original SIR order dated June 26.

Additionally, the poll body noted that over 15.3 lakh newly eligible voters had submitted their applications to be added to the electoral roll for the first time.

(With inputs from The Hindu)

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