Controversy over SIR in TN baseless, driven by political motives: ECI to SC

Election Commission tells Supreme Court allegations are exaggerated, cites high verification and political participation

The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court that the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu was baseless and driven by political motives. Describing the accusations as “exaggerated” and “misconceived,” the Commission said they were aimed at creating a “media narrative for vested interests” and insisted that the revision process was conducted fairly and transparently.

 

Responding to the petitions, including one by DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi, the ECI questioned why a senior party functionary had moved court despite the DMK’s own participation in the exercise.

 

The Commission noted that the party had appointed block-level agents (BLAs) to monitor the process and, therefore, could not allege irregularities after actively engaging in it. The ECI underlined that maintaining accurate electoral rolls is a shared constitutional duty, requiring cooperation from both citizens and political parties. It added that those seeking to represent the public are expected to contribute positively to the process rather than doubt it.

 

ECI also pointed out discrepancies in the rolls to factors such as urban migration, population mobility and voters failing to delete earlier registrations when changing residences. Such challenges, it said, had prompted a nationwide revision drive beginning with Bihar, which ended without any complaints of voter exclusion. 

 

Rejecting claims that eligible voters were being struck off, the Commission said the possibility of wrongful deletions was “non-existent,” noting that booth-level officers (BLOs) were supported by a digital system that allows voters to update information through multiple channels.

 

According to the Commission, Tamil Nadu currently has 68,470 BLOs and 2,38,853 BLAs representing recognised political parties. Nearly 97 per cent of electors have been issued pre-filled forms, and close to 69 per cent of those have already been verified and digitised.

 

The CPI(M) and DMK had earlier moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the SIR in Tamil Nadu.