CPI(M) moves Supreme Court against SIR of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu.

The petition, moved by P. Shanmugam, Secretary of the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Committee, contends that the ECI’s directive issued on October 27, 2025, is “arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional.” The party has sought to quash the order mandating the completion of the SIR process within a limited time frame.

According to the petition, the overall schedule, from October 28, 2025, to February 7, 2026, provides just about 102 days to complete all stages of the revision, including enumeration, verification, publication of draft rolls, filing of objections, and final roll publication. The CPI(M) argues that such a compressed timeline undermines the spirit of an “intensive” revision and violates principles of procedural fairness under Articles 14 and 324 of the Constitution.

The party further claims that the SIR lacks statutory backing and amounts to a “colourable exercise of power” by the Election Commission. It warns that the hurried process could result in the disenfranchisement of genuine voters, particularly those from marginalised communities, migrant workers, and individuals with limited documentation.

The second phase of the SIR exercise began on November 4 across 12 States and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, with Booth Level Officers distributing enumeration forms door-to-door.

This development follows an earlier petition by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which also challenged the SIR in Tamil Nadu. The broader SIR exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, with the final electoral roll scheduled for publication on February 7, 2026.