CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Tuesday criticised AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for supporting what he described as the BJP’s attempt to “deprive people of their voting rights” through the ongoing revision of electoral rolls.
In a post on the social media platform X, Shanmugam said Palaniswami’s decision to align with the BJP’s position on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of rolls is strongly condemned.
“Even if the BJP asks him to blindfold himself and jump into a well, he appears ready to obey without question. He has become a person devoid of independent thought,” Shanmugam said, accusing the AIADMK leader of acting without self-reflection.
The remarks came a day after the AIADMK “wholeheartedly” welcomed the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and urged that the exercise be conducted fairly and transparently across Tamil Nadu.
In a statement on Monday, AIADMK organising secretary and former Minister D Jayakumar said the party had long highlighted discrepancies in the State’s voter lists, including duplicate entries, names of deceased voters, and those who had shifted residence. He said the AIADMK had consistently urged the ECI to conduct a comprehensive verification and publish a corrected roll before the 2026 Assembly elections.