Senior BJP leader and former Tamil Nadu Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has welcomed the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, praising the deletion of nearly 97.38 lakh names as a move that strengthens democracy. She said the cleanup, carried out through extensive door-to-door verification between November 4 and December 14, was essential to ensure that only genuine voters remain on the rolls.According to the draft lists released by the Election Commission, Tamil Nadu’s total electorate now stands at 5.43 crore, down from 6.41 crore before the revision. Of the deletions, 26.94 lakh voters were categorized as deceased, 66.44 lakh were marked as shifted or absent and untraceable at their listed addresses, while 3.39 lakh were identified as duplicates.
Officials have maintained that the exercise was aimed at improving the integrity and transparency of the electoral system ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Tamilisai Soundararajan questioned the ruling DMK’s objection to the large-scale deletions, asking why the party was disappointed by the removal of what she termed as “ghost voters.” She alleged that the DMK hoped to benefit from bogus entries and is now frustrated because of the Commission’s transparent cleanup. “Why should anyone want to contest elections with one crore fake voters on the rolls?” she asked, asserting that the revision is a necessary corrective measure.
The revision has had a significant impact on urban regions, particularly Chennai, which saw 14.25 lakh names deleted. Even Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s Kolathur constituency recorded 1.03 lakh removals. Meanwhile, Congress senior leader P. Chidambaram has voiced concern over the 66.44 lakh deletions attributed to address-related issues, calling the figure “disturbing” and urging political parties to ensure no genuine voter is excluded.