Tamil Nadu on High Alert: DMK, Allies Protest Against SIR Amid Election Fears
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In a massive statewide show of dissent, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) took to the streets of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The move comes as the Election Commission of India (ECI) begins distributing electoral rolls to approximately 39.3 million voters in the state. DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that preventing the SIR exercise just months before the 2026 assembly elections was a significant responsibility for his party cadre. The SPA, which includes the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), and Viduthalai Chirutaigal Katchi (VCK), demanded that the ECI postpone the exercise until after next year's elections. Protesters chanted slogans such as 'Is it the Election Commission of India or Election Commission of Modi?' and 'ECI acts like a wing of the BJP,' highlighting their concerns about the SIR process. The DMK has already moved the Supreme Court on the matter, which was heard on Tuesday, and is taking a dual approach to address the issue. Reacting to the protests, BJP state vice president Narayanan Thirupathy accused the DMK of engaging in 'cheap politics' over SIR. He pointed out that in Bihar, phase 1 of the SIR exercise had been completed without any objections from the Congress. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tamil Nadu, reported that enumeration forms have reached 61.34% of registered voters as of November 10. The protests took place across Tamil Nadu, including major cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur, and Tiruchirappalli, with significant turnouts in each location.
