Forty-four political parties on Sunday urged the Election Commission to reconsider the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, saying that the exercise was “unacceptable” and could disenfranchise voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, The Indian Express reported.

In a resolution adopted at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief MK Stalin, the parties said that they would also move the Supreme Court against the revision.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were not invited to the meeting, The Indian Express reported.

On October 27, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had announced the revision of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories.

These include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry, which are due for Assembly elections in 2026.

In their resolution, the parties argued that the revision was being carried out even though the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on a case challenging a similar exercise in Bihar, The Indian Express reported.

Several petitions were filed against the voter roll revision in Bihar raising concerns that the process could remove eligible voters from the list. The Supreme Court is still hearing the matter with the next hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

The exercise in Bihar was completed ahead of Assembly elections in November. In the final electoral roll published on September 30, at least 47 lakh voters were excluded in the state.

On September 8, the court had directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as valid identity proof for the revision in Bihar.

Aadhaar had not been among the 11 documents the poll panel had allowed as proof of citizenship. Petitioners had called its exclusion “absurd”, noting that it was the most widely held form of identification.

On Sunday, the parties in Tamil Nadu also raised concerns about the Election Commission’s announcement about accepting Aadhaar for voter verification during the exercise, The News Minute reported.

“There is no clarity on how Aadhaar will be used for verification,” The News Minute quoted the resolution as stating. “It is also mentioned that no documents are to be collected from electors during the enumeration phase, which has caused confusion in the minds of the people.”

They said that the revision exercise should be conducted only after removing its “shortcomings” and with adequate time after the 2026 Assembly elections, The Indian Express reported.

The resolution also alleged that the Election Commission was acting as a “puppet” of the BJP-led government at the Centre, and that the exercise could strip minorities and Opposition-leaning voters of their franchise.

“There is no doubt that the SIR, planned unilaterally, is aimed at depriving people of their voting rights and burying democracy deep,” The Indian Express quoted the parties as saying.

In a separate statement, actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam also objected to the revision of the electoral rolls, saying that the exercise undermined democratic rights, The Hindu reported.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had been invited to Sunday’s all-party meeting but chose not to attend.

The statement said that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had also opposed the revision of voter rolls in Bihar, where lakhs of voters were removed after the exercise.

“Opposition parties have consistently alleged that through this exercise certain sections of voters, particularly minorities, were deliberately targeted and deleted,” The Hindu quoted the party as saying. “When clear explanations have not been provided about the first phase, how can the conduct of the second phase be justified?”

It added that all Opposition parties must set aside their political differences and come together to protect the democratic rights of the people.

At the same time, it said that it was aware of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s attempts to use the issue for its own political gains.

Vijay claimed that the DMK’s separate all-party meeting on the revision appeared to be a “political drama aimed at diverting attention from the mounting corruption allegations against the government ahead of the elections”.

Kerala’s ruling alliance also seeks review of voter roll revision

On Sunday, the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala also urged the Election Commission to review its decision to implement the revision of the electoral rolls, saying that the current criteria for the state was “impractical”, PTI reported.

Members of the Left Democratic Front include the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Kerala Congress (M) and the Janata Dal (Secular), among others

After a meeting of the alliance, Left Democratic Front convener TP Ramakrishnan said that the ruling front would support the decision that will be taken at an all-party meeting convened by the state government on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

“The revision should not be implemented in the state at a time when local body elections are approaching,” The Hindu quoted Ramakrishnan as saying. “The Election Commission must understand how the SIR affects people. The commission should conduct a review in this matter.”

The dates for the upcoming local body polls in the state are yet to be announced.

Ramakrishnan accused the poll panel of “unwanted hastiness” in implementing the revision, adding that a case on the matter was pending before the Supreme Court. However, the Election Commission was unwilling to wait for the verdict, he added.

In September, the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the poll panel’s decision to conduct the revision of the state’s electoral rolls in the state, saying that the “hasty” move could harm the rights of citizens.

Also Read:

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting