Chennai, Oct 17:
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to ballot paper-based elections, alleging that the Election Commissionâs actions have undermined public confidence in the electoral process.
These demands were adopted at a meeting of DMK Members of Parliament chaired by party president M K Stalin at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai on Saturday. The meeting decided to submit a memorandum to the President of India seeking electoral reforms and action over alleged irregularities in voter list revision.
In its first resolution, the DMK called for Kumarâs removal and an appropriate investigation into his role in implementing the SIR. The party alleged that eligible voters had been deleted from electoral rolls and recalled Stalinâs opposition to the exercise in Bihar in 2025. It also cited the all-party meeting convened by the DMK on November 2, 2025, its legal challenge and statewide protests against the revision.
The resolution said the exercise should not be conducted without addressing alleged irregularities reported in Bihar. It also argued that undertaking the revision during the monsoon and festival season could cause difficulties for voters. The party maintained that electoral roll revision must protect voting rights rather than deprive eligible citizens of them.
The second resolution expressed support for student and youth protests demanding the scrapping of the SIR and Kumarâs removal. Referring to a *The Indian Express* report published on September 23, 2026, the DMK raised allegations that the Chief Election Commissioner had taken decisions without adequately consulting the other two Election Commissioners.
The party also condemned the reported police action against protesters in Delhi and Chennai. It recalled Stalinâs criticism of the arrests of opposition leaders, including former Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Pinarayi Vijayan, Mamata Banerjee and Manik Sarkar. The DMK said it would support democratic movements opposing the SIR but ruled out joint action with the Congress, accusing the party of betraying its allies.
In its third resolution, the DMK criticised the Congress and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), accusing them of adopting inconsistent positions on the SIR. It questioned the Congressâs stand that the process had been conducted properly in Tamil Nadu despite its objections elsewhere. The resolution also cited a *BusinessLine* report which, according to the DMK, showed that the TVK had won constituencies where large numbers of voters had been deleted. These claims were presented by the party in support of its criticism.
The DMK also questioned the TVK leadershipâs position on the SIR and its alleged reluctance to demand Kumarâs removal. It accused the Congress of targeting the DMK while failing to question the TVK over its decision not to join a joint opposition case in the Supreme Court.
The fourth resolution called for the complete scrapping of the SIR and the use of pre-revision electoral rolls in future elections. The party said sufficient time and opportunities must be provided to voters during any future revision exercise.
The DMK also questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs), citing alleged discrepancies between EVM results and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. It reiterated its demand that all VVPAT slips be counted and that elections return to the ballot paper system.
The meeting decided that DMK MPs would submit a memorandum to the President seeking the scrapping of the SIR, restoration of ballot paper voting and action on the partyâs concerns regarding the Election Commission.