The DMK has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, calling it an arbitrary and unconstitutional misuse of power that threatens to disenfranchise genuine voters.
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CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has approached the Supreme Court of India, challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. The party has termed the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and a threat to the voting rights of genuine citizens.
The petition, filed by R.S. Bharathi, Organising Secretary of the DMK and former Rajya Sabha MP, seeks to quash the ECI’s orders dated October 27, 2025, which extended the SIR process to Tamil Nadu based on earlier guidelines issued on June 24, 2025.
DMK’s Arguments
According to the DMK’s plea, the Election Commission’s orders are beyond its constitutional and statutory powers under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (ROPA) and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The petition claims that the Special Intensive Revision violates Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution of India, as it could lead to the mass disenfranchisement of genuine voters.
The DMK pointed out that Tamil Nadu has already completed a Special Summary Revision (SSR) between October 2024 and January 2025, which updated the state’s voter list. Since then, the electoral roll has been under continuous revision, and therefore, the party argues, there is “no necessity or exceptional reason” to justify a new, large-scale verification.
“The SIR amounts to a colourable exercise of power and is patently arbitrary, unreasonable and illegal,”
the DMK petition stated.
Background
The issue first arose in Bihar, where the ECI introduced the Special Intensive Revision in June 2025. That move led to multiple petitions, including those by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the National Federation for Indian Women (NFIW), being filed before the Supreme Court.
Despite those petitions being sub-judice, the Election Commission extended the SIR nationwide on October 27, 2025, including Tamil Nadu among other States and Union Territories.
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A major point of contention is the SIR guidelines’ provision allowing verification of voters’ citizenship status. The DMK argues that such verification powers rest solely with the Union Government under the Citizenship Act, 1955, not with the Election Commission or its field officers.
The petition warns that the SIR gives Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) authority to refer “suspected foreign nationals” to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, without legal safeguards or statutory backing.
The DMK also raised objections to the SIR’s verification process and list of acceptable documents.
Unlike the usual voter verification procedures, the SIR excludes commonly used IDs such as ration cards, PAN cards, and voter ID cards, while limiting proof to 13 specified documents. Aadhaar was included only after a Supreme Court intervention in the Bihar case.
The petition further notes that door-to-door verification and document collection by BLOs, as mandated under the SIR, have no legal basis under ROPA or the 1960 Rules.
The Election Commission’s timeline for completing the entire verification process by February 7, 2026, has also been criticized. The DMK said the two-month window coincides with the monsoon and Pongal season in Tamil Nadu, making large-scale verification impractical.
The party also warned that the claims, objections, and appeals schedule overlaps, effectively denying voters their statutory right to appeal under Section 24 of ROPA.
“The statutory right to appeal has been rendered nugatory in practice,”
the plea added.
Prayer Before the Supreme Court
The DMK has sought to:
- Quash the ECI’s orders dated June 24 and October 27, 2025
- Restrain the Election Commission from proceeding with the Special Intensive Revision in Tamil Nadu
- Uphold the validity of the existing electoral roll updated during the 2024–25 Special Summary Revision
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