The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu has entered a decisive phase, with more than 61% of enumeration forms distributed to registered voters within the first week. What is ordinarily a routine administrative exercise has swiftly escalated into one of the state’s most politically charged developments of the year, pitting the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its regional partner, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Accusations of conspiracy, allegations of fake voters, and claims of political intimidation have reshaped the discourse around the SIR, turning a bureaucratic initiative into a battleground for electoral narratives.

According to data released by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu on Monday, approximately 3.93 crore voters, representing 61.34% of the electorate registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI), have received SIR enumeration forms between November 4 and November 10. The exercise, launched statewide at the direction of the ECI, aims to verify voter details, correct inaccuracies, remove outdated entries, and add new eligible voters ahead of the next major election cycle.

District-Level Progress Reveals Stark Disparities

While statewide distribution has surpassed the halfway mark, district-level data shows wide disparities in progress. Perambalur, a small district in Central Tamil Nadu, has outperformed every other region, completing 94.41% coverageby distributing forms to 5.57 lakh of its 5.90 lakh registered voters. At the other end, Chengalpattu has emerged as the slowest-performing district, distributing SIR forms to only 22.8% of its electorate—just 6.37 lakh out of 27.8 lakhvoters.

Officials say uneven staffing, festive-season holidays, and logistical challenges have contributed to the slower pace in some urban and semi-urban districts, but insist the overall target remains achievable within the allotted timeline.

DMK Helpline Flooded with Complaints

Despite the steady progress reported by election authorities, the ruling DMK has raised significant concerns about the manner in which the SIR is being implemented. A state government helpline established for monitoring the revision process has reportedly been receiving 600 to 700 calls a day, most of them from DMK Booth Level Agents (BLAs). These callers have flagged a range of issues, including faulty entries, missing names, incorrect addresses, and alleged procedural lapses by enumerators.

Senior DMK leaders have argued that the high volume of complaints is proof that the SIR exercise is being undertaken in haste and in a manner that could adversely affect the accuracy of electoral rolls. They assert that the sudden intensification of the revision—especially close to a potential election cycle—raises concerns of political interference.

Political Tensions Reach a Flashpoint

The SIR has triggered an intense political clash in Tamil Nadu, with chief minister M.K. Stalin framing the exercise as part of a broader national-level strategy by the BJP to target its rivals.

Addressing party workers on Monday, Stalin alleged that the BJP was using SIR as a political weapon in Tamil Nadu, just as it has used central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against opposition-led state governments in other parts of the country.

“SIR is a tool picked up by the BJP to threaten the DMK similar to the ED and the CBI,” Stalin said.
“But their efforts will always fail in Tamil Nadu.”

He went on to question why the AIADMK had approached the Supreme Court to be impleaded in the DMK’s petition challenging the SIR. According to Stalin, a party that is genuinely concerned about the integrity of the process should file a separate petition, rather than aligning itself with the BJP’s stance. He described the AIADMK’s move as evidence of a political conspiracy aimed at weakening the DMK’s electoral base.

AIADMK Retorts: DMK ‘Afraid’ of Clean Voter Lists

Opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) countered Stalin’s allegations, asserting that the ruling party’s opposition to the SIR stems from fear of losing political advantage built on inflated voter lists.

EPS argued that many voter entries remain unchanged even after residents have moved homes or passed away, compromising the integrity of electoral rolls. According to him, the SIR exercise is designed to correct these irregularities.

“Even after residents have shifted houses, their old names are still included,” EPS said.
“The SIR work is meant to remove such irregularities and include genuine voters. But the DMK is opposing it because it thrives on fake votes.”

The AIADMK, which has been seeking a political revival after its electoral setbacks, has stood firmly behind the ECI’s revision exercise, describing it as necessary and overdue.

The BJP Angle

Although not directly involved in administering the SIR, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit has strongly defended the process, describing it as an essential measure to ensure clean electoral rolls. Stalin’s allegations that the SIR is part of the BJP’s political strategy have been dismissed as an attempt to deflect attention from the ruling party’s own insecurities.

Political analysts note that the BJP’s recent electoral outreach in Tamil Nadu—through alliances, campaigns, and organisational restructuring—makes the SIR a politically sensitive issue. Any revision that affects the voter base of major regional parties inevitably becomes a subject of scrutiny and speculation.

Legal Battle Moves to the Supreme Court

The DMK has already filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the legality, timing, and intent of the SIR, arguing that it could lead to disenfranchisement, particularly among migrant and lower-income voters who may be unable to respond promptly to verification requests.

In response, the AIADMK sought to be impleaded in the case, supporting the continuation of the SIR. Stalin’s criticism of this move reflects the larger political rivalry between the two Dravidian parties, sharpened by their opposite alignments with national parties.

What Lies Ahead for the SIR Exercise

As enumeration teams continue to distribute forms across Tamil Nadu, the exercise is expected to intensify in the second week, especially in slower-performing districts. The verification phase, which follows distribution, will likely shape the accuracy of final voter lists for the next election cycle.

The political confrontation surrounding SIR is expected to continue, with both DMK and AIADMK positioning the revision as a referendum on their credibility. While the DMK asserts that the exercise is politically engineered, the AIADMK insists it is a long-overdue correction to voter list distortions.

For now, the SIR remains both an administrative necessity and a political flashpoint—its outcome likely to influence Tamil Nadu’s electoral and political landscape in the coming months.