Stalin called the meeting as a "democratic duty to safeguard the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu" and proposed a draft resolution.
Published Nov 02, 2025 | 2:12 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 02, 2025 | 5:00 PM
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. Credit: x.com/mkstalin
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin chaired an all-party meeting on 2 November, opposing the Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging it’s a tactic to disenfranchise voters like in Bihar. Allies VCK, CPI(M), Congress backed a resolution against it, viewing it as an assault on citizenship. 40 of 64 invited parties attended. Meanwhile, key opponents like TMK, PMK and NTK etc remained absent.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Sunday, 2 November, chaired an all-party meeting at the state Secretariat to discuss the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, alleging that the process is being misused nationally to remove genuine voters ahead of elections.
Stalin accused the central authorities of replicating tactics used in Bihar, where voter list revisions allegedly threatened and deprived people of their voting rights.
“In Bihar, the revision of the voter list was carried out in a manner that threatened people and deprived them of their voting rights, and a similar plan is now being prepared for other states, including Tamil Nadu,” he stated.
Stressing the need for fairness, Stalin remarked, “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 further slammed the timing, saying, “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.”
#SIR in Tamil Nadu: We will resist disenfranchisement and defeat #VoteTheft.
To carry out Special Intensive Revision just months before the election, and especially during the monsoon months of November and December, brings serious practical difficulties. To conduct SIR in a… pic.twitter.com/wXUXuZUkyp
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) October 27, 2025
Stalin called the meeting a “democratic duty to safeguard the voting rights of the people of Tamil Nadu” and proposed a draft resolution to resist such actions.
VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan viewed the SIR as broader than an electoral issue. “SIR of the electoral rolls is not an attack on voting rights alone; it is an attack on citizenship,” he said.
Welcoming Stalin’s initiative, he added, “VCK welcomes the urgent steps the CM has taken to confront the danger posed by SIR. The Chief Minister has proposed a draft resolution on how to oppose this, and we welcome that.”
Thirumavalavan alleged a hidden agenda, stating, “This is not merely an assault on voting rights — it is an assault on citizenship. This is the political understanding we need.”
He added, “They claim they are asking for documents to verify citizenship. But their real justification is that this is not about verifying citizenship; instead, they argue that names appearing in the voter list since 2002 should simply be reconciled. The real purpose of this exercise is to implement citizenship laws covertly by using the Election Commission. They need an NRC to announce the final list. That is why they are using this process. We must view this politically — the Election Commission has no authority to carry out this task.”
He also urged legal intervention. “Those responsible should fix the voter list by proper means. The law says this must not be done within one year of elections. It should be done a year before or after the elections. Let the Supreme Court decide — let the case finish. They are doing this to implement a national citizenship regime; we must not allow it. We strongly oppose it,“ he concluded.
CPI(M) leader P Shanmugam called for public mobilisation: “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. We have repeatedly raised our voice against the problems the Centre causes for Tamil Nadu. The Marxist Communist Party calls for leading public protests condemning this move.”
Congress leader K Selva Perunthagai too pledged full support. He said, “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.”
He alleged political motives, adding, “Since victory by democratic means is not possible for the BJP in Tamil Nadu, they, along with the Election Commission, are planning and attempting to implement this measure.”
Out of 64 political parties invited, 40 attended the meeting, while 21 stayed away.
Notable absentees included TVK, AMMK, PMK – Ramadoss, Tamil Maanila Congress, NTK, India Jananayaga Katchi, Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi, Puthiya Tamilagam, and others.
