The urgency of EC has raised further suspicion. The Enumeration period coincides with the peak north-east monsoon in Tamil Nadu.
Published Nov 02, 2025 | 4:59 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 02, 2025 | 4:59 PM
The all-party meeting was chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. Credit: https://x.com/mkstalin
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu’s all-party meeting condemned ECI’s SIR as a BJP-orchestrated voter suppression tactic, mirroring Bihar’s irregularities targeting Muslims and Dalits. Resolution demands immediate withdrawal, cites legal violations, Supreme Court pendency, Aadhaar misuse, monsoon timing issues, and threats to democracy. Parties vow Supreme Court action if SIR proceeds before 2026 elections.
With the SIR (Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Roll) case still pending before the Supreme Court in connection with Bihar, and with no final verdict yet, the announcement of a similar SIR process in Tamil Nadu — just months before the Assembly election — is unacceptable, said the all-party resolution.
Opposition parties across India have already opposed the SIR from the beginning, and the meeting strongly condemned the Election Commission of India (ECI) for acting as a “puppet of the Union government” and functioning in an arbitrary manner.
The primary concern raised by parties relates to what happened in Bihar: eligible voters — especially Muslims, Dalits, and those considered anti-BJP — were removed from the roll, while ineligible names were added, allegedly as part of a targeted political exercise.
The Election Commission has offered no explanation to either Parliament or the Supreme Court. “The ECI is acting like an arm of the BJP,” the resolution said.
தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களின் வாக்குரிமையைப் பறித்து, ஜனநாயகத்தைப் படுகொலை செய்யும் நோக்கோடு அவசரகதியில் மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் #SIR-க்கு எதிராக ஒன்றிணைந்து குரல் கொடுப்பது அனைத்துக் கட்சிகளின் கடமை!
வாக்காளர் பட்டியல் திருத்தத்தைக் குழப்பங்கள் – ஐயங்கள் இல்லாமல் போதிய கால அவகாசத்துடன், 2026… pic.twitter.com/3OYmvB1Czu
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) November 2, 2025
Despite the serious irregularities in Bihar, ECI has decided to extend the same SIR model to 12 states including Tamil Nadu. Opposition parties said this amounts to “stripping people of their voting rights and burying democracy.”
Under Section 169 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any revision of the electoral roll must be notified officially through a Gazette notification by the Union government. The SIR notification has instead been issued unilaterally by EC, in violation of both the Constitution and the law.
“This SIR is legally invalid,” the resolution stated.
Even though the Supreme Court had ordered that Aadhaar card can only be used as a voluntary supporting document (12th document of proof), the ECI’s 27.10.2025 circular refers to Aadhaar in an unclear manner. The notification lacks transparency and uses vague terminology such as “Aadhaar may be accepted subject to conditions,” which parties say creates room for misuse.
The notification says: “No document is to be collected from electors during the Enumeration Phase.”
But Annexure-III says that voters must submit age/birth proof to the Electoral Registration Officer when asked.
There is no clarity on who will ask, when, under what form, what deadline, or where documents must be submitted. “This confusion is deliberate and meant to delete eligible voters,” the parties alleged.
The urgency of EC has raised further suspicion. The Enumeration period — 4 Nov to 4 Dec 2025 — coincides with the peak north-east monsoon in Tamil Nadu. Heavy rains and floods will prevent rural voters, especially farmers, from filling and returning forms, leading to mass deletion of names, they warned. Revenue officials, who are expected to handle this work, will already be occupied with flood-related duties.
Further complications will arise as the draft roll timeline overlaps with Christmas and Pongal holidays, making it difficult for those who need to add or correct their names to do so in time.
“Preparation of the electoral roll is the lifeline of parliamentary democracy. The Constitution expects the ECI to function impartially and guarantee a level playing field. Instead, it is acting in favour of the ruling party at the Centre,” the resolution stated.
Calling SIR “anti-democratic and anti-voter,” the meeting demanded its immediate withdrawal in Tamil Nadu. It also urged the EC to follow Supreme Court directions, fix errors, allow adequate time, and — if necessary — carry out SIR only after the 2026 election, in a neutral manner.
The resolution concluded: “If the Election Commission refuses to withdraw SIR, Tamil Nadu’s political parties will have no choice but to approach the Supreme Court to protect the voting rights of the people and safeguard electoral democracy.”
