CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu until after the 2026 Assembly election, citing inadequate preparation time, the northeast monsoon and the festive season.
In a statement, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said that during a recent consultation convened by the chief electoral officer, 10 of the 12 political parties present strongly demanded that the revision be taken up after the Assembly polls.
Despite this, the ECI launched the process on November 4. He said the ECI’s claim that 78% of enumeration forms have been distributed is “unrealistic”, as field reports indicate that nearly 50% of voters are yet to receive them. He also pointed out that booth-level officers and voters are struggling to fill the forms due to inadequate training, which, he warned, could compromise the accuracy of the poll rolls.
In another statement, the CPI extended its full support to the protest being organised by the Federation of Employees’ Associations of Annamalai University, which is fighting for its charter of demands.