The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across multiple states has ignited a fierce political storm, with opposition parties accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the process to manipulate voter lists ahead of crucial upcoming elections.

In Tamil Nadu, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies have strongly objected to the ECI’s move, alleging that it is designed to “disenfranchise” sections of the electorate ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin came down heavily on the poll body, calling the decision a “vote theft attempt.”

“To conduct SIR in a hasty and opaque manner is nothing but a conspiracy by the ECI to rob citizens of their rights and help the BJP,” Stalin wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He also questioned the timing of the exercise, warning that conducting the revision during the monsoon months of November and December would create “serious practical difficulties.” Drawing parallels with the Bihar experience, Stalin alleged that names of women, minorities, and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe voters were removed “without transparency,” thereby eroding public trust in the electoral process.

The DMK on Monday convened a meeting with its alliance partners and announced plans for an all-party conference to decide the next course of action against the ECI’s move.

In a counterattack, the AIADMK dismissed the DMK’s charges, calling them a “sign of fear” ahead of the 2026 elections.

“The SIR is a routine administrative process. The DMK’s objection is nothing but political theatre to distract the public from its failures,” the opposition party stated.

The controversy has also spread to West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has clashed with the BJP over the same issue.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh warned that the party would “democratically protest” any politically motivated attempt to delete legitimate voters’ names.

“We have no problem with electoral roll revision, but if it is used to remove genuine voters, we will resist,” said Ghosh.

He further appealed to citizens to remain calm and “not fall into the BJP’s trap,” adding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee “stand firmly with the people.”