CHENNAI: The BJP state unit on Thursday petitioned the Election Commission of India (ECI), asking it to exercise extraordinary vigilance ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, alleging that nearly Rs 2,000 crore had been stockpiled across the State for systematic voter bribery.
In a representation addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, state BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad invoked Article 324 of the Constitution and urged the Commission to deploy enhanced safeguards to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the 234-member Assembly.
The BJP cited the Commission’s recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which led to the deletion of 97,37,831 names from the draft rolls released in December 2025. It described the exercise as a decisive intervention that strengthened electoral integrity.
Referring to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s Kolathur constituency, the party claimed that 1,03,812 names, about 35–36 per cent of the pre-revision electorate, were removed during the revision, reflecting what it called large-scale duplication and ineligible entries.
The letter further alleged that funds were being mobilised at the constituency and booth levels to influence voters, in violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code dealing with bribery. It sought a swift and comprehensive investigation, including forensic audits, statewide searches and seizures, and preventive action through flying squads.
The BJP also called for the deployment of maximum Central Armed Police Forces, particularly in sensitive constituencies such as Kolathur, to prevent intimidation and violence.
“We urge the Commission to act firmly and without delay to safeguard the democratic rights of Tamil Nadu’s electorate,” Prasad said, adding that the party was prepared to furnish further inputs.