Tamil Nadu: Congress urges deferment of SIR till after 2026 elections
Selvaperunthagai also pointed out that the current voter revision process was entirely different from that of 2003 and accused the government of using the exercise as a “disguised implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act.”
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to postpone the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll until after the 2026 Assembly elections, citing inadequate time and adverse working conditions for officials.
After submitting a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer at the Secretariat, Selvaperunthagai told reporters that the 30-day period allotted for verification and submission of voter forms was ‘grossly insufficient’.
He said, "It is practically impossible to verify each voter thrice and collect the filled forms within 30 days, especially with four holidays, including Sundays, during this period. We have also sought clarification on whether Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will work on these holidays."
Highlighting the practical challenges, the Sriperumbudur MLA added that conducting intensive voter roll revision during the monsoon season was unfeasible, as many government officials leave after noon, reducing the available working hours. He stressed that "a transparent and accurate electoral roll is the foundation of a free and fair election, " warning that any confusion or discrepancies could lead to serious irregularities.
Selvaperunthagai also pointed out that the current voter revision process was entirely different from that of 2003 and accused the government of using the exercise as a ‘disguised implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act’.
He further said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had already raised concerns over irregularities in the ongoing voter roll revision. He announced that the TNCC would soon approach the Supreme Court against the SIR process in Tamil Nadu.