AIADMK, DMK clash over voter roll revision in poll-bound Tamil Nadu

In a stark political divide over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday (October 27) rallied its cadre to embrace the initiative as a bulwark for democratic integrity, while the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance condemned it as a sinister plot to disenfranchise Tamil Nadu's voters.

AIADMK organising secretary and former state minister D Jayakumar emphasised the SIR — set to commence in November — as a "game-changer" for ensuring 100 per cent voter inclusion ahead of the 2026 state elections.

'SIR a weapon to arm our democracy'

Speaking to The Federal, he said, “With the 2026 Assembly elections on the horizon, the strength of our democracy lies in the hands of our voters. We must ensure that every eligible citizen's name is on the rolls without exception.”

Also read: EC to roll out SIR 2.0 in 12 states: Here are 12 things you need to know

He invoked the legacy of party founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran, urging the cadre to treat the SIR as a “weapon to arm our democracy” and achieve “unwavering voter turnout”.

Highlighting historical pitfalls, Jayakumar referred to past revisions: The 2023 Annual Summary Revision that saw 40 lakh voters deleted due to inaccuracies, with only eight lakh new young voters added, creating an “imbalance” that risks disenfranchisement.

In 2024, inclusions for 18-year-olds, seniors, and persons with disabilities were uneven, with rural areas lagging despite urban successes.

Also read: 1,000 CAA camps in Bengal ahead of SIR: BJP strategy or political insecurity?

A mid-2024 drive in Sriperumbudur added 31 lakh out of 44 lakh targeted voters but exposed gaps among migrant workers in the industrial belts.

To counter these, Jayakumar outlined a multi-pronged strategy:

Targeted Inclusion Drives: Focus on first-time voters (18+), seniors (80+), differently-abled persons, and transient groups such as gypsies and migrant labourers.

Verification and Correction: Door-to-door surveys in rural panchayats and urban municipalities to verify entries, aiming for “zero deletions and full additions”.

Cadre Mobilisation: Booth-level agents to be assigned roles, with incentives for high performers.

Also read: Nationwide SIR: Election Commission steps up preparations

In a sharp broadside against the ruling DMK, Jayakumar lambasted Chief Minister M K Stalin for pre-emptively making the rivals scapegoats for what he called an impending electoral drubbing, advising him instead to rectify the government's own lapses, cease the blame game against Opposition parties, and dedicate the scant remaining months to tangible welfare measures for Tamil Nadu's citizens.

“Stalin’s frantic hunt for excuses reveals his desperation; it's high time he focuses on governance rather than deflection,” Jayakumar said, positioning the SIR as a democratic safeguard that the AIADMK stands firmly behind.

DMK alliance's counter-move

In a swift counter-move, a high-level meeting at the DMK headquarters in Chennai — Anna Arivalayam — convened under the chairmanship of Stalin, brought together leaders from all alliance parties. The gathering passed a fiery resolution opposing the SIR, branding it a “satanic scheme” under the guise of reform to plunder the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu.

Also read: 2026 polls: Are voter rights under threat? | Kerala’s big stand against SIR

The resolution, issued by the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance parties, decried the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government’s “habitual” assaults on democracy, accusing it of bending autonomous bodies such as the ECI to its will.

'EC operations suspicious'

“The ECI's operations are not just controversial but suspicious,” it stated, pointing to the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections as a prime example where a similar “special revision” was exposed as a ploy to purge genuine voters.

In Bihar, the resolution claimed, lakhs of voters were deleted — disproportionately from groups such as Muslims, Scheduled Castes, and women — with senior advocate Prashant Bhushan alleging attempts to remove 80,000 Muslim names from a single constituency. Even the Supreme Court’s directives were flouted, it alleged, with the BJP government as the instigator.

Also read: Bihar SIR: Is EC using ‘citizenship doubts’ to disenfranchise 3 lakh voters? | Capital Beat

Echoing these concerns for Tamil Nadu, the resolution questioned the SIR’s timing: announced by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, the revision is slated for November-December amid the northeast monsoon, rendering fieldwork “impossible” and burdensome.

Requirements such as affixing photos and linking old rolls online would disproportionately burden the majority of voters, it argued.

“Why reject Aadhaar cards as full proof of identity even after Supreme Court orders? Why ignore our demand to accept family identity cards?” the ally leaders asked.

Also read: Is EC lying on SIR? | Activist Anjali Bhardwaj interview

While affirming the need for roll maintenance, it insisted on a measured approach — not a "hasty" one-time one suspiciously close to the April 2026 polls. “We suspect a conspiracy within this SIR to snatch Tamil Nadu's people's voting rights, just as in Bihar,” the resolution warned, vowing united resistance.

The DMK alliance extended an urgent appeal to all political parties in Tamil Nadu to join an all-party meet on Sunday (November 2) at 10 am.

Also read: ‘Not theft but robbery’: Vote theft anger grips rural Bihar | Ground report

"Transcending political differences, leaders must participate," it urged, promising that the meeting's demands and suggestions would shape future actions.

"This is Tamil Nadu's issue. All political movements must vigilantly monitor and thwart it," the resolution concluded, calling for unity to safeguard democracy, people's rights, and the state's future.