Chennai, 2 November (H.S.): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Sunday chaired an all-party meeting, successfully forging a united opposition against the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Stalin described the revision as a “calculated attempt to remove genuine voters ahead of elections,” sending a strong political message to the Centre. The high-level meeting saw participation from 45 parties, including key DMK allies such as the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), and MNM. However, parties that have supported the revision drive, including the AIADMK and BJP, were not invited.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister cautioned that the SIR was being utilized as a political instrument intended to manipulate the electorate. While acknowledging the importance of a transparent voter list, he emphasized that an extensive revision must be conducted with sufficient time and in a calm, unpressured environment. Undertaking an extensive revision just months before the elections is nothing but a strategic move to erase genuine voters, he declared.

Drawing parallels with recent developments in Bihar, where he alleged the SIR process was misused to suppress voter rights, Stalin warned that the same pattern is now being replicated in Tamil Nadu. He concluded by presenting a draft resolution urging all opposition parties to jointly oppose the SIR process to safeguard the integrity of the state’s democratic and electoral system.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary