The Supreme Court has scheduled November 11 as the date to hear a significant plea lodged by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The party is challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, an initiative ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The case was brought before a bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai by the DMK’s legal representative. The apex court confirmed that the hearing would take place on Tuesday.
The DMK, through its Organising Secretary RS Bharathi, has approached the highest court questioning the constitutional validity of the SIR process for electoral rolls. The party seeks to annul the ECI’s October 27 notification, which extended the SIR to Tamil Nadu, building upon earlier guidelines from June 24. The petition specifically challenges the ECI’s directives issued on June 24 and October 27.
According to the DMK’s filing, the SIR and the ECI’s orders, if not overturned, pose a substantial risk of disenfranchising a vast number of voters without due process. This, the party argues, would undermine free and fair elections and the democratic fabric of the nation, which are fundamental aspects of the Constitution. The plea contends that the ECI’s actions violate Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution, along with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The petition highlights concerns about the documentation requirements, the absence of due process, and the extremely tight timeline for this revision in Tamil Nadu. These factors, it claims, will inevitably lead to the removal of many legitimate voters’ names from the rolls, effectively disenfranchising them. It’s important to note that a Special Summary Revision (SSR) had already been conducted in Tamil Nadu from October 2024 to January 6, 2025, addressing issues like migration and deceased voters. The existing rolls were updated and published on January 6, 2025, and have been continuously revised since.
The DMK views this as a case of constitutional overreach, arguing that while Article 324 grants the ECI supervisory powers over elections, these powers should not conflict with existing legislative frameworks. The ECI’s orders from October 27 and June 24 are seen as an attempt to override the established statutory procedures for preparing and revising electoral rolls. This development comes as the ECI announced plans for the second phase of SIR in 12 states and Union Territories, with the final voter list for this broader exercise set for February 7, 2026.
