Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 20 (HBTV): The Election Commission of India on Friday released the draft electoral roll for Tamil Nadu after collecting 5,43,76,755 enumeration forms from voters across the state. According to the Election Commission in Tamil Nadu, 97,37,831 electors have been deleted from the list as they were found to be deceased, had shifted or were absent from their residences, or were enrolled at multiple locations.
The final publication of the electoral roll is scheduled for February 2, 2026. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is being conducted around five months ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, expected in April–May 2026. Earlier, the ECI had extended the SIR deadlines in five states, including Tamil Nadu, with the enumeration period in the state extended until December 14.
Of the electors removed, 26,94,672 were marked as deceased, 66,44,881 as shifted or absent from their addresses, and 3,98,278 as enrolled at multiple places. Since the roll is a draft, electors have the opportunity to file claims and objections from December 19 to January 18, 2026. First-time voters who attain the age of 18 on or before January 1 have been encouraged to apply using Form 6.
As of December 19, more than 5.4 crore of the state’s over 6.4 crore electors had submitted enumeration forms. Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu Archana Patnaik said the draft roll includes 5,43,76,755 electors, comprising 2,77,63,232 women, 2,66,63,233 men, 7,191 electors of the third gender, and 4,19,355 persons with disabilities. She also appreciated the efforts of Booth Level Officers and Booth Level Agents for successfully carrying out the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the draft list, highlighting a high number of deletions in Kolathur, the Chief Minister’s constituency. BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said the deletions indirectly explain how Chennai became a DMK stronghold. According to the EC data, Chennai district recorded the highest number of deletions at 14,25,018, with most deletions attributed to electors being absent or having moved residences.
The DMK, however, alleged that the SIR process was rushed and said it would monitor for wrongful deletions. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the party would verify the rolls door to door and pursue legal action if required.
(ANI)