Chennai, 19 January (H.S.) : he Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu concluded on a subdued note, with only 12 lakh new voters being added to the draft list.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the draft electoral roll following the intensive revision process, which was aimed at purging ineligible entries and updating the database ahead of the 2026 Assembly Elections.

According to official data, the state witnessed a massive deletion of approximately 97.37 lakh names from the previous voter list of 6.41 crore, primarily due to deaths, permanent migration, and duplicate entries. This significant reduction has brought the total number of eligible electors in the state down to 5.43 crore.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik stated that the revision process was conducted with maximum transparency, involving door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The low number of new enrollments, which stands at just 12 lakh, has raised concerns among various political circles regarding youth participation.

The highest number of deletions was recorded in Chennai district, where 14.25 lakh names were removed, accounting for nearly 35% of its total electorate. While the ruling DMK and opposition TVK have expressed reservations about the scale of deletions, the AIADMK and BJP have supported the exercise as a necessary step for a clean roll.

The window for filing claims and objections ended on January 18, and the final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on February 17, 2026.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary