DMK Urges Halt and Rethink of Tamil Nadu's Electoral Roll Update

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK has petitioned the Chief Election Commissioner to delay the SIR of electoral rolls until post-2026 elections, citing practical issues and advocating for a systematic revision. The party emphasizes the need for thorough voter list purification and highlights challenges faced by citizens due to current procedural gaps.

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu is pressing the Chief Election Commissioner to stall the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, proposing a more methodical approach post-2026 state assembly elections. The party has raised concerns over procedural deficiencies, the lack of time, and the impact on voter accuracy.

DMK's organization secretary, RS Bharati, highlighted these issues in a petition, underscoring the necessity for a 100% purified voters list. Bharati stressed that the incomplete voter details on the ECI's website, which lack essential identifiers like street names, hinder citizens from completing their enumeration forms, especially impacting the illiterate demographic.

The DMK claims BLOs are inadequately prepared and trained, with a significant portion of them being Anganwadi workers or school teachers who can only conduct fieldwork after hours. If unchanged, the SIR could erroneously eliminate eligible voters and include ineligible ones, the party warned, urging the ECI to defer the process for at least a year.

(With inputs from agencies.)