Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan have become the latest opposition leaders to push back against the Special Intensive Revision.
Days after the Election Commission of India announced the nationwide rollout, Stalin accused the BJP of plotting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters. Stalin claimed that the BJP and the AIADMK were trying to ‘win by deletion’.
He has also called for an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu on November 2 to discuss the matter.
Vijayan questions decision
Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan also hit out at the poll panel. He said the EC should refrain from becoming the puppet of the ruling party at the Centre.
Vijayan said the ECI proceeded with the SIR in Kerala even after the state's Chief Electoral Officer asked for a postponement. He called the decision a challenge to the democratic process.
SIR aimed to implement NRC
Kerala’s Legislative Assembly had also passed a resolution last month against the SIR. The resolution raised concerns that the SIR was aimed at implementing the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) indirectly.
The Kerala Chief Minister stressed that the Commission is planning to carry out the revision based on electoral rolls from 2002-2004, instead of using the updated voter lists. He stressed that, as per the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, any revision of the electoral rolls must be conducted using the current list as a base.
Despite opposition from several political parties, the ECI announced the rollout of SIR in 12 poll-bound states on Monday. States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala topped the list ahead of their respective Assembly elections in 2026.
