ECI begins statewide review of special electoral roll revision in Tamil Nadu

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday began a three-day review of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, chief electoral officer (CEO) and state government secretary Archana Patnaik announced.

The SIR exercise, launched on 4 November, allows citizens to file applications for inclusion, deletion, or correction of entries in the voter list until 4 December. Similar revision drives are under way in nine states and three Union Territories. Several political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, have challenged the ECI’s decision in the Supreme Court.

In a statement, the CEO said senior officials from the Election Commission would be in the state from 24 to 26 November to assess the progress of the 2025 roll revision and oversee district-level operations.

Deputy director P. Pavan and Devansh Tiwari from the commission’s media division will be in Chennai to review media coordination efforts and voter awareness campaigns linked to the revision. They will also inspect field-level survey work being undertaken as part of the process.

ECI director Krishnakumar Tiwari is scheduled to visit Coimbatore and Tiruppur to monitor the work of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), focusing on tally sheet distribution, verification of entries, and the digital updating of voter data — all key components of the SIR.

In parallel, ECI secretary Madhusudan Gupta will review activities in Chennai and Chengalpattu districts, looking into voter list corrections, door-to-door verification, and the performance of field teams.

Patnaik said the SIR aims to ensure that the 2025 electoral rolls are accurate and complete ahead of major elections next year. Officials will examine on-ground challenges, compliance with guidelines, and measures to improve public participation.

Additional instructions from the ECI are expected after the statewide assessment, even as the Supreme Court continues hearings on petitions questioning the timing and breadth of the revision.

With agency inputs