DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has intensified his party’s opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the party demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the restoration of ballot paper voting and corrective action against alleged electoral irregularities. The resolutions adopted at a meeting of DMK MPs in Chennai on Saturday underline the party’s determination to keep the electoral roll controversy alive while pursuing its own political course, even as its relationship with Congress has deteriorated following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin convened a crucial meeting of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai on Saturday to formulate the party’s strategy against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The meeting resulted in a series of resolutions targeting the Election Commission’s handling of the exercise and demanding measures to address what the party described as electoral irregularities.
The DMK adopted four resolutions, including a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, support for student organisations, condemnation of what it termed the double standards of Congress and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and the submission of a petition to President Droupadi Murmu seeking corrective action.
In its statement following the meeting, the party reiterated its principal demands: the complete cancellation of the SIR exercise, the restoration of ballot paper voting in place of electronic voting machines (EVMs), and the submission of a representation to the President.
The resolutions reflect the DMK’s determination to challenge the electoral roll revision process through political mobilisation and institutional intervention. The party has maintained that the exercise could deprive eligible citizens of their voting rights if names are removed without adequate verification or an effective opportunity for affected voters to seek redress.
DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi had voiced similar concerns at an event on Friday, accusing the Union government of displaying insufficient faith in constitutional principles. She argued that every person whose name had been removed from the electoral rolls deserved justice and that eligible voters should have their names restored.
Although the DMK shares the broader Opposition’s objections to the SIR exercise, it has stayed away from the Congress-led agitation in Delhi. This distinction is politically significant because the two parties were previously key partners in the INDIA bloc, with their alliance playing an important role in the Opposition’s political strategy.
Their relationship, however, has suffered a major setback following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Congress subsequently joined hands with the TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, after the elections resulted in the DMK’s removal from power.
The shift has altered the political calculations in Tamil Nadu. For the DMK, Congress’s decision to align with TVK has created a direct challenge to the opposition coalition that had previously brought the two parties together. Consequently, even when both parties oppose the SIR exercise, their political priorities and approaches to protest may not necessarily coincide.
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