The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Madras High Court that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls is set to commence in about a week. This is part of a larger, nationwide effort.
The announcement was made by ECI standing counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan during a hearing. The case involved a petition from former AIADMK MLA B Sathyanarayanan, who had requested the ECI to conduct a thorough and transparent re-verification of electoral rolls, specifically focusing on 229 booths in the T Nagar constituency in Chennai.
States like Tamil Nadu, which are preparing for elections early next year, are expected to be included in the initial phase of this revision process.
Previously, this revision exercise, which has been noted for some controversy, was carried out in Bihar, ahead of its upcoming polls.
Sources close to the case indicated that the ECI’s statements were based on consultations with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from various states, aiming to coordinate the SIR process across the country. The exact start date will be officially announced by the ECI.
Reports from earlier in the week suggested that the nationwide SIR might be conducted in two phases. The first phase would focus on five states—Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu—all scheduled to hold elections soon. The second phase would then cover the remaining states and Union Territories, with preparations anticipated to begin by late November.
The DMK party has expressed its intention to closely observe the implementation of the SIR in Tamil Nadu. A spokesperson noted concerns about the ECI’s past actions in Bihar and stated the party would monitor the process to prevent any unfair interference with the state’s electoral rolls.
The petitioner, who previously represented the T Nagar constituency, raised questions about the voter roll data. He pointed out that while the number of registered voters in T Nagar had increased significantly between 1996 and 2021, the percentage of increase seemed disproportionately low compared to the number of voters who participated in polls during that period.