Include us in consultative meetings, TVK requests Election Commission

Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief, actor-politician Vijay has requested the Election Commission to include his party in all consultations and discussions for elections and said it would help in strengthening the electoral process.

In a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner, Vijay said his party has established a visible and demonstrable presence across Tamil Nadu and shall be contesting the upcoming elections across the State.

"We are firmly committed to advancing the democratic process in a manner that ensures every citizen's voice is heard. In this context, we respectfully submit that ensuring a level playing field for all political parties, recognised, or otherwise, forms an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution," Vijay said in the representation dated November 15, 2025.

Currently, TVK is being excluded from participating in the consultative meetings, and it undermines equality in participation, which is vital to maintaining public confidence in the fairness of the electoral system.

"In the interest of upholding the highest standards of transparency and inclusivity, we most humbly request that TVK be extended due notice and invited to participate in all future meetings, consultations, and coordination exercises concerning the subsequent election preparations in Tamil Nadu."

The TVK president requested the poll panel chief to kindly issue appropriate directions to ensure that TVK is duly included in all consultations and discussions with political parties in respect of upcoming elections.

"The grant of this request would be prejudicial to none, and would only help in the common objective of strengthening the electoral process," he urged.

On Saturday, in a video message appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu including first-time voters to make sure their names figure in the electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR in the state.

Being negligent would only lead to deletion of electors’ names from the rolls and thus denial of voting rights, he claimed.

"Voting is not only our right but also our life. We won’t have voting rights if we get deceived. Such a situation may arise due to SIR if we don’t ensure our names in the voters’ list,” Vijay said.

In a representation to the EC on November 15, he flagged what he called several issues in connection with the ongoing SIR exercise and urged the authorities to ensure that voting rights are not made subject to a "rushed, arbitrary and unreliable process."

The TVK underlined "issues noticed on the ground," and listed points including inadvertent risk of mass disenfranchisement of sections of people like migrant workers.