DMK moves SC against EC’s decision to conduct SIR in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, calling the move “unconstitutional, arbitrary, and a threat to democratic rights.”

The petition, submitted by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi, seeks to quash the EC’s October 27 notification ordering the SIR exercise. It contends that the decision violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The plea was filed by advocate Vivek Singh and settled by senior advocate and MP N R Elango.

The DMK argued that the SIR could lead to the “arbitrary removal” of lakhs of genuine voters due to “unreasonable documentation requirements” and a “lack of procedural safeguards.” It warned that the exercise might disenfranchise voters and “disrupt free and fair elections, a core element of India’s constitutional basic structure.” The party also questioned the need for a fresh revision, noting that a Special Summary Revision was completed in January 2025. It alleged that the EC’s directive effectively turns voter verification into a “de-facto National Register of Citizens” exercise without legal authority and that excluding common ID documents could push many voters into default deletions.mpost