E-Paper
Verify if DMK voters removed from electoral rolls under SIR, Stalin tells party men
Around 9.7 million names may be dropped from Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls after data released by the Election Commission on Friday.
Tamil Nadu will never fear an “invasion from Delhi”, chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin said on Sunday at a meeting with district secretaries to discuss the party’s response to the publication of the draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Around 9.7 million names may be dropped from Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls after data released by the Election Commission on Friday showed the highest percentage of potential deletions among major states. Stalin directed party members to verify which categories the removed voters belong to. The draft rolls, following the first phase of the SIR, were published just months ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Of the 64.1 million electors in Tamil Nadu as of October 27, around 9.7 million—15.2 percent—could be deleted.
“When SIR work was started in a hurry, we warned in advance that this would lead to various irregularities. Eligible voters in Tamil Nadu could be excluded,” Stalin said, noting that party workers serving as booth level agents (BLAs) had worked tirelessly during the enumeration period. “The AIADMK and BJP did not even come to the field. They did not even raise their voices. That is why we should be suspicious. Therefore, we should carefully see if our voters are among the 97 lakh voters who have been removed.”
The DMK has protested on the ground and filed a case in the Supreme Court describing the SIR as a conspiracy by the BJP to help its ally, the AIADMK, in the 2026 assembly elections. “Fascist forces and enemies who cannot defeat us honestly and in a straightforward manner will try to achieve their goals through roundabout means. We must not let that happen,” Stalin said. “More than 10 percent of voters have been excluded in 168 constituencies. We need to look at this on a polling station-by-station basis.”
Lists of those removed from each polling station, along with details of registered Tamil Nadu voters, will be sent to district secretaries by Monday. “The details should be checked thoroughly and no omissions made,” Stalin said. “Our next task is to check whether they are dead, have moved, or have double entries. Even if only one person has been omitted by mistake, we need to fill out Form 6 and add them back to the voter list. If I am looking at this on such a micro level, you can understand how seriously this should be taken. It is the responsibility of every district secretary and block observer to examine it carefully and correct it.”
He cautioned that opposition parties would attempt to distract the DMK but urged vigilance, reiterating confidence that the coalition would prevail.
On the day the draft list was released, Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the deletions indicated duplicate entries, justifying his party’s support for the SIR exercise. The state BJP unit, meanwhile, urged its members to assist genuine voters during the claims and objections period to ensure they are added to the electoral roll.
