A major political storm has erupted in Tamil Nadu over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the DMK-led alliance accusing the poll body of attempting to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Following an all-party meeting chaired by the ruling DMK, the party and its allies announced their decision to approach the Supreme Court, calling the ECI’s revision drive an “anti-democratic exercise aimed at disenfranchising voters.”

Adding to the controversy, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan made a sharp allegation, saying, “This is not SIR. This is indirectly hitting in NRC. They want to do some mischief in this.” His remarks have intensified political tensions, with opposition parties accusing the BJP of influencing the ECI’s actions to gain electoral advantage in the state.

The meeting also saw political friction among allies, as the VCK criticised actor Vijay’s party, Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), for skipping the deliberations, claiming that it was due to “BJP phobia.”

Meanwhile, the BJP and the Election Commission have strongly defended the SIR exercise. BJP leaders described it as a “transparent process aimed at cleaning up voter rolls and ensuring accuracy.” Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that the voter list revision is “a standard administrative procedure being conducted simultaneously in 12 states.”