STALIN TAKES THE VOTER-ROLL BATTLE TO RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN, DEMANDS SCRAPPING OF SIR

October 29, 2026

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 29, 2026: DMK president M.K. Stalin has urged President Droupadi Murmu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the restoration of pre-revision voter lists and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

After being denied an appointment with the President, Stalin emailed a memorandum outlining his objections to the revision exercise. He called for Parliament to initiate the process of removing the Chief Election Commissioner and urged the President to seek information from the Prime Minister under Article 78 of the Constitution.

Stalin also requested Supreme Court scrutiny of the deletion of 97.37 lakh names from Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls. He demanded a forensic audit of the Election Commission’s software, the use of pre-SIR voter lists for future elections and a return to paper ballots.

The DMK leader alleged that the deletions disproportionately affected constituencies previously won by his party and claimed that some eligible voters had been wrongly classified as absent or shifted despite continuing to reside at their registered addresses. He further questioned whether the revision had influenced electoral outcomes, citing the party’s electoral losses.

Stalin also referred to reported disagreements among Election Commission members over decisions taken during the revision process, arguing that the controversy raised concerns about the institution’s transparency and accountability.

The Election Commission’s position and the allegations made in the memorandum remain distinct issues. The demands now place renewed focus on the integrity of electoral rolls, the protection of eligible voters and the accountability of India’s election administration.