A controversial exercise

AAs expected, the DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu have launched an attack on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of next year’s Assembly elections. Their concern is that the exercise, being carried out with undue haste, could lead to arbitrary removals and additions of voters, particularly adversely affecting minorities and members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They believe that it functions effectively as a de facto national register of citizens.

In a petition filed in the Supreme Court, the DMK has argued that by imposing citizenship-like burdens of proof on voters, the SIR is exceeding its statutory powers and infringing on citizens’ fundamental right to vote. Her argument focuses on the contention that unilaterally ‘imposing’ such an unprecedented, resource-intensive and socially disruptive process on a state, without consultation or demonstrable administrative necessity, violates the federal structure of the Constitution, which is recognized as part of its basic structure. The party has emphasized that by circumventing legal safeguards, the state concerned has been effectively reduced to a mere executive agency for centrally determined, unilateral processes, creating a high risk of disenfranchising large numbers of bona fide voters. It informed the Court that the manner in which the SIR is to be conducted is neither found in the Representation of the People Act, 1950 nor in the Registration of Elector Rules, 1960.

Ever since more than 68 lakh names were deleted from the electoral rolls in Bihar, sparking outrage among opposition parties, the DMK and its allies have been apprehensive about the exercise. There were allegations that genuine voters, especially Muslims, were being removed from the electoral rolls. The DMK and its allies view the SIR as a “trick” to disenfranchise legitimate voters. Prime Minister Stalin has emphasized the need for an authentic and transparent voters’ list and said sufficient time should be given to complete the process.

The DMK and its allies called an all-party meeting to discuss the issue, although it was boycotted by the AIADMK and the BJP and several smaller factions. The DMK-led alliance has announced state-wide demonstrations against the SIR on November 14, which started on November 4. About 68,700 booth-level officers were involved in the count, with each officer tasked with reaching a large number of households within a short period of time. The party has even set up a help center with a special telephone number to address citizens’ concerns about the SIR.

Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has dismissed these concerns and argued that since the entire exercise is being carried out by state government employees, any discrepancies would be the responsibility of the DMK. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran echoed similar sentiments and urged his party members to remain vigilant against what he characterized as a conspiracy to remove voters from the electoral rolls. However, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by actor Vijay, has also opposed the SIR.

Voters in Tamil Nadu appear to be increasingly confused by the conflicting positions of the DMK and its allies on the one hand and the AIADMK and its partners on the other.

Mr Stalin has warned that the details sought by the ECI in the enumeration form could confuse even the most critical sections of the electorate, possibly resulting in deletions on the pretext of non-compliance with procedural requirements. To underline his point, he recalled the clarification given by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) regarding the requirement to paste a new photo on the form. While the CEO stated this was optional, it remains unclear whether election registration officials across the state will take a consistent approach to the issue. The shortened time frame of 30 days to complete the exercise will be disastrous, according to the DMK and its allies.

The DMK and its allies also believe that the inclusion of millions of migrant workers from Hindi-speaking states would change the demographic composition of the voter list and favor only the BJP and its allies. They believe that the inclusion is an indirect strategy used by the BJP to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. The DMK-led alliance is now pinning its hopes on the Supreme Court.