Chief Minister MK Stalin announced, following a meeting of all political parties on Sunday, that a resolution has been adopted to challenge the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu before the Supreme Court. The decision stems from the Election Commission's refusal to postpone the SIR until after the 2026 Assembly election, which is currently scheduled for April of that year.
Stalin said that since the Election Commission has "not accepted our request to hold the SIR of electoral rolls after the 2026 Assembly polls, by giving adequate time to carry out revisions without confusions and doubts," the all-party meeting resolved to approach the apex court.
The Chief Minister went on to allege that the process is being widely misused across the nation to remove legitimate voters ahead of elections. He specifically accused Central authorities of mimicking strategies employed in Bihar, claiming that voter list revisions there had been conducted in a manner that "threatened people and deprived them of their voting rights," and that a "similar plan is now being prepared for other states, including Tamil Nadu."
While stressing the necessity of a fair electoral process, Stalin argued: “No one denies that a fair election requires an accurate voter list. But there must be sufficient time, and the process must happen in a calm and non-intimidating environment. Only then can the revision be done properly.” He condemned the timing, asserting, “Attempting a full-scale revision just months before an election is not electoral reform — it is a tactic to remove genuine voters. What they did in Bihar is now being attempted to repeat in other states.”
Stalin framed the meeting as a "democratic duty to safeguard the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu," and proposed the draft resolution to resist the measures.
Supporting this stance, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan viewed the SIR as a profound threat, stating that it "is not an attack on voting rights alone; it is an attack on citizenship." He praised the "urgent steps the CM has taken to confront the danger posed by SIR."
CPI(M) leader P Shanmugam called for extensive public outreach: “We must raise awareness about what rights of Tamil Nadu people will be taken away by the SIR of the electoral rolls, and how voting rights will be stripped... The Marxist Communist Party calls for leading public protests condemning this move.”
Congress leader K Selva Perunthagai pledged the party's full backing, declaring: “The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls must be opposed by democratic means. We must reject and throw out the burdens this will place on Tamil Nadu. Congress stands fully behind the actions the Chief Minister MK Stalin is taking.”
In total, 40 political parties attended the meeting, having been invited alongside 64 others, while 21 groups including TVK, AMMK, PMK – Ramadoss, Tamil Maanila Congress, NTK, and others — chose to stay away.
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