The DMK has sharpened its campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. At a meeting of party MPs in Chennai on Saturday, October 17, the party led by MK Stalin passed resolutions demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be removed, that the SIR be scrapped, and that India go back to paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines. The party will take these demands to President Droupadi Murmu in a memorandum.
The resolutions also carried an unusually pointed attack on the Congress and on Tamil Nadu's ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), accusing both of double standards on the voter roll issue.
What the DMK Resolved
Reports from the meeting describe four broad themes: opposition to the SIR, support for the youth-led protests against it, criticism of the Congress and TVK, and a call for electoral reform. The key demands are:
- Remove the CEC: The DMK said Gyanesh Kumar "must be removed and subjected to an appropriate inquiry", accusing him of overseeing the deletion of eligible voters' names.
- Scrap the SIR: Drop the revision entirely and use the electoral rolls that existed before it for future elections.
- Give voters time: Any future revision should come only after voters get enough time and opportunity to check and correct their details.
- Bring back paper ballots: Citing alleged mismatches between EVM counts and VVPAT slips, the party said people's faith in elections can be restored only by returning to the ballot paper.
- Petition the President: A memorandum with these demands will be submitted to President Droupadi Murmu.
Key Facts
| Date | Saturday, October 17, 2026 |
| Venue | Chennai |
| Party | DMK, led by MK Stalin |
| Main demand | Scrap SIR, remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar |
| Voting method sought | Paper ballots instead of EVMs |
| Next step | Memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu |
| Parties criticised | Congress, TVK |
Backing the Youth Protests
The meeting noted that student and youth-led protests against the Chief Election Commissioner were gaining momentum, and decided to support them. The DMK specifically backed the Cockroach Janta Party's protests demanding Gyanesh Kumar's removal and the withdrawal of the SIR, and condemned police action against young protesters.
Sharp Words for Congress
The DMK's resolutions accused the Congress of keeping its distance from the protests at first and then trying to associate itself with them once they gained support. The party said the Congress opposes the SIR at the national level but has taken a softer line on its implementation in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It urged the Congress to raise alleged irregularities consistently across all states and warned it against targeting the DMK, which is not part of its alliance in the state.
Questions for TVK and Vijay
The DMK also turned its guns on the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. It said that while some senior TVK leaders have publicly opposed the SIR, Vijay himself has not opposed it or demanded the CEC's removal. The party pointed out that Vijay was not part of the INDIA bloc's joint petition in the Supreme Court and has not attended the bloc's meetings or SIR protests since the Assembly elections.
It also questioned the TVK government's decision to extend the tenure of a Chief Secretary appointed by the Election Commission, and the elevation of a Governor-in-charge to full-time Governor, saying these raised questions about the TVK's relationship with the BJP.
Why It Matters
The SIR has become one of the most heated political issues in the country. Opposition parties argue the exercise risks wiping eligible voters off the rolls, while the Election Commission says it is cleaning up outdated lists. The DMK, now in opposition in Tamil Nadu, has been among the earliest and loudest critics. Stalin first opposed the SIR in July 2025 after reports of large-scale deletions in Bihar, where the exercise began.
By attacking both the Congress and the TVK at once, the DMK is also trying to position itself as the most consistent voice on the issue in Tamil Nadu ahead of future polls.
What Happens Next
The DMK is expected to seek time with President Murmu to submit its memorandum. The issue is also before the Supreme Court, where petitions on the SIR are being heard. How the Congress and TVK respond to the DMK's charges will be closely watched in Tamil Nadu politics over the coming days.
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