Tamil Nadu: DMK urges Election Commission to postpone SIR citing monsoon, holidays

DMK demanded that the ECI withdraw the S.I.R. notification issued on October 27 and issue a revised notification taking into consideration of all the concerns and to conduct the SIR in a more democratic manner.

Chennai: Reiterating its opposition to Special Intensive Revision (S.I.R.) of electoral rolls, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK on Wednesday demanded that the exercise be postponed in the state citing the peak northeast monsoon season and festival holidays.

In a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, the DMK, which was represented by R S Bharathi and N R Elango at a meeting called by the Election Commission here, said there are several practical difficulties for the people in participating the exercise. 

The enumeration period is fixed between November 4 and December 4. The DMK said that this is the peak period for Northeast Monsoon in Tamil Nadu and heavy rains and inclement weather are expected during this period. 

“The Tamil Nadu voters, most of them being agriculturists, will find no time to receive, fill, and return the enumeration forms. There is a reasonable apprehension that in this process, deletion of a large number of voters will occur,” it said.

The revenue department may also be handling situations arising out of heavy rains/floods, and this will impair a purposeful purification of the voter list, the party added. 

The period between December 9 and January 31, 2026  covers most part of the period for filing claims and objections. “There is an obvious overlap of these two phases. This period falls during the Pongal festival,” the DMK said.

The party demanded that the ECI withdraw the S.I.R. notification issued on October 27 and issue a revised notification taking into consideration of all the concerns and to conduct the SIR in a more democratic manner.