New Delhi— The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 11 a petition filed by Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls.
The plea was mentioned before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai by advocate Vivek Singh, who sought an urgent hearing and interim stay on the ECI’s notifications dated June 24 and October 27, 2025. The Bench agreed to list the matter for hearing on Tuesday.
In its petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the DMK described the SIR as “a case of constitutional overreach,” arguing that the poll panel had acted beyond its authority. The party contended that the SIR was being implemented at an “inappropriate time” and in a manner that could result in the deletion of genuine voters and inclusion of ineligible names.
The petition warned that the revision exercise could “disenfranchise millions of Tamil Nadu voters” by questioning their eligibility and imposing unnecessary verification procedures. The DMK also alleged that the Election Commission, through the SIR process, was assuming powers to verify citizenship — a function legally reserved for the Union Government under the Citizenship Act, 1955. By doing so, it argued, the ECI had effectively turned the SIR into a “de facto National Register of Citizens (NRC).”
The party pointed out that a Special Summary Revision (SSR) had already been conducted between October 2024 and January 2025, during which all necessary updates — including deletions, migrations, and additions — were completed. The final revised voter roll was published on January 6, 2025, and has been continuously updated since.
The DMK’s petition follows an all-party meeting convened by the Tamil Nadu Government to discuss the Election Commission’s move. The development comes shortly after the Supreme Court permitted the completion of a similar SIR exercise in Bihar.
