DMK moves Supreme Court, files petition against SIR in Tamil Nadu

Delhi: Challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has moved the Supreme Court.

The Organising Secretary of the DMK, RS Bharathi, filed a petition seeking the quashing of the ECI's orders dated October 27 extending the SIR to Tamil Nadu, issued on the basis of earlier guidelines issued on June 24 this year.

Arguing that the orders are unconstitutional, the DMK asserted that they exceed the Election Commission's powers and are contrary to the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (ROPA), and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

According to the petition, the SIR violates Articles 14, 19, 21, 325 and 326 of the Constitution and could result in the mass disenfranchisement of genuine voters.

The plea argues that Tamil Nadu already completed a Special Summary Revision (SSR) between October 2024 and January 2025, where the voter list was updated to include new electors and delete ineligible names.

As per the plea, this list does not warrant another full-scale verification as it has been continuously updated since the SSR.

Tracing the origin of the controversy back to Bihar, where the ECI first directed a Special Intensive Revision in June 2025, the petition states that Multiple petitions are already pending before the Supreme Court challenging that order. These include petitions filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the National Federation for Indian Women (NFIW).

Despite those challenges being sub-judice, the ECI on October 27 2025, extended the SIR to other States and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu.

The DMK argues that the SIR guidelines empower the Election Commission to verify individuals' citizenship status. This function lies solely with the Union Government under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The plea also highlights how the orders even allow Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to refer suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, despite lacking legal or procedural safeguards for such referrals.

The petition argues that the procedure prescribed under the SIR is not found in any statute or rule. It suggests that requiring Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct door-to-door verification, distribute and collect enumeration forms, and make recommendations on whether to include or exclude voters has no legal basis under ROPA or the 1960 Rules.

Further, it described the SIR timeline as "unrealistic and arbitrary." The petition also states that the schedules for claims, objections, and appeals overlap, making it impossible for wrongfully excluded voters to obtain relief before the publication of the final rolls on February 7 2026.

The plea accordingly seeks to quash the ECI's orders dated June 24 and October 27, and to direct the Election Commission to refrain from proceeding with the SIR in Tamil Nadu.
(With Bar and Bench inputs)