Stalin warns against Bihar-style voter roll revision in Tamil Nadu. (Photo: X/@yadavtejashwi)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Friday sharply criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in election-bound Bihar, accusing the process to disenfranchise voters and help the ruling BJP.
A case like SIR in Bihar must not be allowed to occur in Tamil Nadu. The masses must be made aware of the scenario in Bihar,” Stalin stated in a function in Chennai before embarking on a week-long tour to Germany and England. He pointed out that Tamil Nadu had drawn investments of ₹10 lakh crore under the Dravidian model of administration, marking a difference from what he termed the BJP’s efforts to “steal votes.
The Opposition INDIA bloc, including the Congress, RJD, CPI-ML and DMK, has repeatedly attacked the SIR in Bihar, accusing the Election Commission of acting as a “puppet” of the Centre. Earlier this week, Stalin joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, and CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya in Muzaffarpur to extend solidarity with Gandhi’s ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’.
The SIR electoral roll is an innovative voter list validation campaign by the Election Commission of India, that aimed at conducting free and fair elections. Under house-to-house counting, the ECI creates new electoral rolls without dependency on prior voter lists. The exercise is generally carried out when current rolls are outdated, incorrect, or need to be rebuilt in entirety usually before large-scale elections or after delimitation of constituencies.
If elections are held fairly, the NDA will lose. The BJP has made the Election Commission a remote-controlled puppet. It is not acceptable to remove the people of Bihar from the voters’ list,” Stalin stated in Muzaffarpur.
He also stood up for Rahul Gandhi in response to the Election Commission’s request for an affidavit or apology in response to charges of “vote theft.” “Will Rahul Gandhi ever be frightened by all this? Today, the BJP is attacking him because he has revealed how they have made a game of elections,” Stalin asked the crowd.
Meanwhile, as the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ rolled into its last leg, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and Vikassheel Insaan Party president Mukesh Sahani spearheaded the yatra in Bettiah, West Champaran district, proceeding towards Siwan through Gopalganj. The yatra has attempted to galvanize mass resistance to the SIR, which the Opposition apprehends could lead to widescale deletions of voters prior to the Assembly elections.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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