<p>Chennai: Intensifying their opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, the DMK, its alliance partners, and a host of recognized political parties on Sunday decided to file a petition against the exercise before the Supreme Court. The parties, which include Congress and the Left, demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) abandon the SIR scheduled to be conducted between November 4 and December 4, and hold it impartially after the assembly polls next year. </p><p>The decision to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court was taken at a multi-party meeting convened by DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin, attended by representatives from 46 political parties. However, actor Vijay’s TVK, PMK, AMMK, and a few other parties that are not part of the AIADMK-BJP alliance boycotted the meeting. </p><p>A resolution passed at the meeting accused the ECI of acting as a “tool of the ruling party at the Centre” and said the enumeration period, which coincides with the northeast monsoon, raises legitimate fears of many voters being removed from the list during this process. </p><p>The meeting, while raising concerns over the hurried manner in which the SIR was being conducted, said many fear losing their voting rights due to difficulties in participating since the Christmas and Pongal festivals fall before the release of the final electoral list on January 31. </p><p>“As the Election Commission does not accept these views, Tamil Nadu’s political parties have no option but to approach the Supreme Court to protect the voting rights of all Tamil Nadu voters. Hence, this coalition resolves to file a petition in the Supreme Court to save electoral democracy in Tamil Nadu,” the resolution added. </p><p>The “all-party meeting” came two days before the SI is to begin in Tamil Nadu, at a time when the ruling DMK is projecting the 2026 assembly polls as a contest between Tamil Nadu and Delhi (read Union Government). The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) has been alleging that the ECI is “biased” in favour of the BJP and believes escalating its attack on the electoral body will help consolidate the anti-saffron party votes in the 2026 elections, which is likely to be a four-cornered contest. </p>.Karur stampede | Supreme Court allows victims' kin to approach CBI over 'threats' by DMK, officials.<p>The DMK, which opposed the SIR in Bihar with Stalin participating in a rally in the northern state, plans to make the exercise a major poll issue by alleging that it will disenfranchise several eligible voters. Stalin has already claimed that the exercise was a move to facilitate the AIADMK-BJP alliance to win the 2026 elections. </p><p>However, the AIADMK and BJP have welcomed the SIR and accused the DMK of opposing the exercise only out of fear of losing the polls.</p><p>Sources told DH that the DMK will move the Supreme Court as early as possible, challenging the SIR notification with respect to Tamil Nadu issued on October 27 by the ECI. </p><p>It added that the SIR should be conducted impartially only after the 2026 elections, after correcting the flaws in the notification and following transparent adherence to the Supreme Court's guidance and allowing sufficient time. </p><p>The parties also said the SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu is “completely anti-democratic” and against the voting rights of the people, as a case against Bihar S.I.R is still pending in the Supreme Court. They also claimed that the S.I.R notification for Tamil Nadu was “illegal” as it did not give clear instructions on including the Aadhaar card as the 12th document for verification, as per the Supreme Court’s order in the Bihar case. </p><p>“The flaws in the notification should be corrected following transparent adherence to the Supreme Court's guidance, and after providing sufficient time, the SIR should be conducted impartially only after the 2026 elections,” the resolution added. </p><p>Implementing the SIR plan without addressing the malpractices that took place in Bihar, in 12 states including Tamil Nadu, is tantamount to depriving people of their voting rights and digging a grave for democracy, the parties said, adding that the urgency of the ECI raises serious doubts.</p>
<p>Chennai: Intensifying their opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, the DMK, its alliance partners, and a host of recognized political parties on Sunday decided to file a petition against the exercise before the Supreme Court. The parties, which include Congress and the Left, demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) abandon the SIR scheduled to be conducted between November 4 and December 4, and hold it impartially after the assembly polls next year. </p><p>The decision to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court was taken at a multi-party meeting convened by DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin, attended by representatives from 46 political parties. However, actor Vijay’s TVK, PMK, AMMK, and a few other parties that are not part of the AIADMK-BJP alliance boycotted the meeting. </p><p>A resolution passed at the meeting accused the ECI of acting as a “tool of the ruling party at the Centre” and said the enumeration period, which coincides with the northeast monsoon, raises legitimate fears of many voters being removed from the list during this process. </p><p>The meeting, while raising concerns over the hurried manner in which the SIR was being conducted, said many fear losing their voting rights due to difficulties in participating since the Christmas and Pongal festivals fall before the release of the final electoral list on January 31. </p><p>“As the Election Commission does not accept these views, Tamil Nadu’s political parties have no option but to approach the Supreme Court to protect the voting rights of all Tamil Nadu voters. Hence, this coalition resolves to file a petition in the Supreme Court to save electoral democracy in Tamil Nadu,” the resolution added. </p><p>The “all-party meeting” came two days before the SI is to begin in Tamil Nadu, at a time when the ruling DMK is projecting the 2026 assembly polls as a contest between Tamil Nadu and Delhi (read Union Government). The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) has been alleging that the ECI is “biased” in favour of the BJP and believes escalating its attack on the electoral body will help consolidate the anti-saffron party votes in the 2026 elections, which is likely to be a four-cornered contest. </p>.Karur stampede | Supreme Court allows victims' kin to approach CBI over 'threats' by DMK, officials.<p>The DMK, which opposed the SIR in Bihar with Stalin participating in a rally in the northern state, plans to make the exercise a major poll issue by alleging that it will disenfranchise several eligible voters. Stalin has already claimed that the exercise was a move to facilitate the AIADMK-BJP alliance to win the 2026 elections. </p><p>However, the AIADMK and BJP have welcomed the SIR and accused the DMK of opposing the exercise only out of fear of losing the polls.</p><p>Sources told DH that the DMK will move the Supreme Court as early as possible, challenging the SIR notification with respect to Tamil Nadu issued on October 27 by the ECI. </p><p>It added that the SIR should be conducted impartially only after the 2026 elections, after correcting the flaws in the notification and following transparent adherence to the Supreme Court's guidance and allowing sufficient time. </p><p>The parties also said the SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu is “completely anti-democratic” and against the voting rights of the people, as a case against Bihar S.I.R is still pending in the Supreme Court. They also claimed that the S.I.R notification for Tamil Nadu was “illegal” as it did not give clear instructions on including the Aadhaar card as the 12th document for verification, as per the Supreme Court’s order in the Bihar case. </p><p>“The flaws in the notification should be corrected following transparent adherence to the Supreme Court's guidance, and after providing sufficient time, the SIR should be conducted impartially only after the 2026 elections,” the resolution added. </p><p>Implementing the SIR plan without addressing the malpractices that took place in Bihar, in 12 states including Tamil Nadu, is tantamount to depriving people of their voting rights and digging a grave for democracy, the parties said, adding that the urgency of the ECI raises serious doubts.</p>