Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allied parties in Tamil Nadu have voiced strong opposition to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) announced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling it a "conspiracy" to disenfranchise voters ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has been particularly vocal, alleging that the SIR is a "conspiracy web" orchestrated by the BJP and its ally AIADMK to manipulate the electoral process. Stalin claims the goal is to remove names of working-class people, Scheduled Castes, minorities, and women from voter lists, thus tilting the election in favor of the BJP and AIADMK. He cited the example of Bihar, where a similar exercise reportedly led to the deletion of approximately 65 lakh voters.

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes parties like Congress, Left, VCK, MDMK, and IUML, has appealed to all political parties to oppose the SIR and remain vigilant against potential disenfranchisement. The SPA has scheduled an all-party meeting on November 2nd to discuss the issue and decide on a unified course of action. Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik has also called for a meeting of recognized political parties on October 29 to discuss the SIR process.

Concerns have been raised about the timing of the SIR, which is set to take place during the northeast monsoon season in November and December. The SPA argues that tasks like submitting photographs and verifying details online will pose significant hardships for many voters during this period. They also question why the Aadhaar card is not accepted as a valid document, despite the Supreme Court's stance on its admissibility.

Stalin has criticized the ECI for conducting the exercise in what he describes as an "opaque manner" to favor the BJP, undermining voter rights. He has also accused the central government of attempting to misuse the ECI to replicate the alleged voter suppression seen in Bihar.

In response to the DMK's allegations, the AIADMK has welcomed the SIR, accusing the DMK of opposing the exercise to conceal its "failures" in governance. The AIADMK has urged the ECI to conduct the revision in a transparent manner.

The ECI maintains that the SIR is a routine, technical exercise to ensure clean electoral rolls ahead of major elections, removing duplicates and deceased voters. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that the SIR aims to create a "pure, healthy, and inclusive" electoral roll.

The voter list in Tamil Nadu is set to be frozen from Monday midnight until the draft electoral rolls are published on December 9. The final electoral rolls are scheduled for release on February 7, 2026.