Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K. Annamalai has fired back at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Annamalai accused the Chief Minister of exhibiting “brazen hypocrisy” and “appalling double standards” for criticizing a standard electoral process. According to Annamalai, Stalin is unnecessarily politicizing a decades-old democratic mechanism designed to maintain accurate voter lists.
When Chief Minister Stalin alleged that the SIR was a plot by the BJP to disenfranchise voters, Annamalai retorted that these remarks demonstrated the CM’s “hollow grasp of democratic procedures.” He highlighted that such revisions are routine, having been carried out numerous times historically, including 13 instances between 1952 and 2004. Annamalai expressed surprise at Stalin’s current objections to this established practice.
Annamalai also reminded the public of the DMK’s own history of demanding similar voter roll clean-ups. He cited the DMK’s 2016 claim about 57.43 lakh fake voters and their subsequent call in 2017 for a comprehensive revision, incorporating Aadhaar linking and house-to-house checks. The former state BJP president further noted that Stalin himself had sought court intervention before the RK Nagar by-election to remove names of deceased and relocated voters. He emphasized that a clean electoral roll is vital for “the sanctity of democracy” and urged the DMK to recall its past stances to avoid “selective amnesia.”
Addressing the criticism that the SIR timing during the monsoon season favors the BJP, Annamalai asserted that the Election Commission operates independently and transparently. He suggested that questioning the commission’s procedures indicates “insecurity.” The ongoing verbal sparring between the DMK and BJP over voter roll integrity is intensifying the political climate in Tamil Nadu as the 2026 Assembly elections approach, setting a charged atmosphere for debates on electoral fairness and accountability.