Tamil Nadu: Vijay joins anti-SIR chorus, blames Election Commission for confusion over voter status

Joining the chorus against the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Saturday squarely blamed the poll panel for the prevailing confusion and the lingering doubts in the minds of voters about their status.

“The right to vote is one of the most important rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution to the people of Tamil Nadu. As it concerns our lives, it is vital for every individual to be identified as alive,” he said in a video message posted on his X timeline. “Will you believe that none in Tamil Nadu currently has the right to vote? Not only me — this is the predicament of lakhs of people.”

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Citing the ongoing SIR as the primary reason for the confusion, he said, “The current SIR exercise poses the threat of disenfranchising all of us. As of this January, there were 6.36 crore voters in Tamil Nadu, and none of them now has the right to vote. The enumeration forms distributed by the BLOs and submitted by us have to be scrutinised before the final list is released. Until then, we don’t know whether we are voters or not. We cannot be sure until the new list comes.” He further questioned, “How is it possible during the SIR exercise to distribute enumeration forms to each one of the 6.36 crore voters?”

“Those who will be affected the most in this process are the working class, the poor and working women. If they are not at home when the BLO arrives, what will happen? They cannot wait for the BLO’s visit without going to work. People are confused because the poll panel has refused to make even the online process user-friendly,” he pointed out.

According to him, another reason for the prevailing chaos is the lack of clarity about the purpose of the SIR conducted in such a tearing hurry. “Is it a process for verification, re-registration, or a secret backdoor registration? A fair SIR should only involve deleting the deceased and fake voters while adding new ones. Why should those who have voted earlier register again? Isn’t it enough to add new voters and those who currently do not have a vote? This is why we oppose it,” he explained.

Stating that complaints are pouring in about TVK supporters either not receiving enumeration forms or being deliberately blocked by political adversaries, he said, “Without naming them, you all know who is doing this. Officials acting at the behest of those in power are responsible.” He appealed to TVK workers and functionaries to remain vigilant and ensure that no one is left out. He also urged Gen Z voters — the first-time voters — not to be complacent as everyone is looking to them as agents of political change.

Earlier in the day, Vijay had dashed off a letter to the Election Commission listing the TVK’s strong objections to the conduct of the SIR and the party’s exclusion from meetings of political parties convened by the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu.