SIR starts in Tamil Nadu amid staunch opposition from ruling DMK, its allies

Chennai, Nov 4 (PTI) Amid staunch opposition from the ruling DMK, the exercise of SIR of electoral rolls commenced on Tuesday in Tamil Nadu and authorities said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will guide people in filling up the requisite enumeration form.

As part of the exercise, house-to-house enumeration will be carried out from 04.11.2025 to 04.12.2025, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu said.

Meanwhile, the DMK, in its plea before the Supreme Court against the SIR, has dubbed it a "de facto NRC" and has challenged its constitutional validity. The ruling party has sought the quashing of the Election Commission's notification on SIR dated October 27, 2025.

The main opposition, AIADMK, an ally of the BJP supports the exercise.

According to CEO office, the Booth Level Officers will visit every household to distribute partially pre-filled enumeration forms in duplicate to all existing electors and guide them in filling up the form.

"If BLO finds that any house is locked or closed, she/he shall make at least three visits. Electors may also download their Enumeration Forms and submit the filled-in forms online," an official release from the office of the CEO said.

The dates of the visits of the BLOs will be shared in advance and widely publicised in the locality of the Electoral Registration Officers.

BLOs will collect the filled out forms and provide an acknowledgement in one copy of the Enumeration Form, which will be retained by the elector.

Official sources said the exercise has commenced, adding there is some hesitancy among some personnel in going forward with the drive in view of the opposition from the ruling party, which has approached the top court.

Further, the online submissions will also be verified by the BLOs during their house visits. Authorities requested the electors to fill up the details like their names or names of their family members such as parents or grandfather/mother in the electoral rolls of the previous SIR.

"The BLOs will assist the electors in filling these details. The names of all the electors who have submitted their duly filled enumeration forms to the BLO during the house-to-house enumeration period will be included in the Draft Electoral Roll, which will be published on 09.12.2025. This will include names of electors who have submitted the filled and signed forms online also." In case any elector is unable to submit their filled in enumeration form within the specified time, he/she may file Form 6, along with prescribed declaration from for inclusion during the claims and objections period, which is from 09.12.2025 to 08.01.2026.

The Final Electoral Roll will be published on 07.02.2026 after all claims and objections are considered. The electors can file an appeal on any decision of the Electoral Registration Officers to the District Magistrate under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and a second appeal against the decision of the first Appellate Authority to the Chief Electoral Officer in the manner prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The CEO's office urged electors to take the help of BLOs in filling up the forms and submit the duly filled up and signed forms to the BLOs as and when they visit their houses, during the enumeration period from 04.11.2025 to 04.12.2025.

In this regard, a meeting was also held by the CEO with the representatives of all the recognised national/state political parties on 29.10.2025 and the process of Special Intensive Revision was explained in detail, the release added.

So far, 39 meetings on Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls have been conducted at District Election Officer level which were attended by 932 representatives of recognised political parties.

At the Electoral Registration Officer level, 241 meetings were conducted, which were attended by 3,346 representatives of recognised political parties.

The DMK's writ peition in the apex court said: "It is humbly submitted that a combined reading of the Constitution of India, the ROPA with the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the Citizenship Act reveals that the burden of establishing citizenship rests with State and not the individual. As such, whether or not a person as an Indian citizen can only be assessed/determined by the union government and not the respondent (Election Commission). Its constitutional and statutory mandate is to prepare and revise electoral rolls for the conduct of elections. By imposing citizenship-like burdens of proof, the SIR appears to be acting beyond its statutory purpose, effectively functioning as a de facto National Register of Citizens (NRC)." PTI VGN ROH