03 November,2025 09:59 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The plea argues that the exercise violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. File pic
Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's (EC) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's electoral rolls, calling the move "unconstitutional, arbitrary, and a threat to democratic rights", news agency PTI reported.
The petition, filed by DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi and settled by senior advocate and MP NR Elango, seeks to quash the EC's October 27 notification directing the SIR in Tamil Nadu. The plea argues that the exercise violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution - covering the right to equality, freedom of speech, and right to life - along with provisions of the Representation of People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Filed by advocate Vivek Singh, the plea is expected to come up for hearing later this week, PTI reported. It requests the apex court to issue a writ of certiorari calling for records related to the EC's order of October 27.
DMK contends that SIR could lead to the "arbitrary removal" of lakhs of genuine voters, as the exercise imposes stringent documentation requirements while lacking procedural safeguards.
"If not set aside, the SIR can arbitrarily disenfranchise lakhs of voters, disrupting free and fair elections - a core component of India's constitutional democracy," the plea stated.
It highlighted that the SIR's short timelines, coupled with unclear processes, make the removal of eligible voters likely, thereby undermining the integrity of elections, PTI reported. The plea also noted that the state's electoral rolls were already updated through a Special Summary Revision (SSR) completed in January.
A major point of contention is the EC's requirement for voters, especially those not listed in the 2003 roll, to furnish documents proving citizenship. DMK argued that this effectively turns voter verification into a de-facto National Register of Citizens (NRC) without any legal mandate, exceeding EC's constitutional authority.
The petition further claimed that SIR reverses the presumption of legitimacy for registered voters, forcing them to re-prove citizenship, and initially excluded commonly used identity documents such as ration and PAN cards and voter IDs. This, it said, could lead to wrongful deletions and lengthy appeals.
"The existing electoral roll in Tamil Nadu, updated and published on January 6, 2025, already accounts for migration, deaths, and ineligible voters. There is no necessity for such a de novo verification," the plea added.
(With PTI inputs)
