SC to Hear DMK Plea Challenging Election Commission’s Special Electoral Roll Revision on Nov 11

November 7, 2025

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 11 a plea filed by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) order directing a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai agreed to list the matter for hearing after the plea, filed by DMK leader and former Rajya Sabha MP R.S. Bharathi, was mentioned for urgent consideration.

The writ petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeks to quash the ECI’s October 27 order that extended the SIR exercise — first initiated in Bihar in June — to other states including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.

DMK Terms SIR ‘Unconstitutional’ and ‘Arbitrary’

In its plea, the DMK argued that the SIR order could “arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters,” thereby undermining the principles of free and fair elections, which are part of the Constitution’s basic structure.

The petition claims the ECI’s directive violates Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Calling the exercise “a colourable use of power,” the DMK alleged that the SIR “amounts to a de facto National Register of Citizens (NRC)” by imposing “citizenship-like burdens of proof” on registered voters — a move the party says exceeds the ECI’s statutory authority.

Plea Warns of Voter Exclusion and References Bihar Example

The petition noted that Tamil Nadu had already completed a Special Summary Revision of its electoral rolls in January 2025, which it described as “fit and sufficient” for the upcoming Assembly elections.

“Directing a fresh de novo verification is unnecessary, arbitrary, and lacks statutory justification,” the plea stated.

Citing alleged irregularities in Bihar’s ongoing SIR exercise — where “65.2 lakh existing electors were deleted” — the DMK warned of “mass exclusion of voters” if the order were implemented in Tamil Nadu.

SC Also Set to Hear Similar Pleas from Bihar

Separately, a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant agreed to hear next week a batch of petitions challenging the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar after advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.

The DMK’s petition seeks judicial intervention to quash the ECI’s October 27 directive as “unconstitutional and violative of fundamental rights.”