For the first time, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has actively participated in an INDIA bloc protest against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
On Thursday, TVK joined the Congress-led protest in Chennai, which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest was led by Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore and the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), with leaders from all seven constituent parties taking part. Among those present were TVK leader and School Education Minister A. Rajmohan, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan, and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko.
Until now, TVK had maintained a cautious position on the issue. Its reservations appear to stem partly from demands by some Opposition parties, including Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), as well as some CJP members, for the cancellation of the 2026 Tamil Nadu and West Bengal Assembly elections and their re-conduct through ballot papers.
While opposing the SIR exercise, TVK has maintained that removing one Election Commissioner would not address the larger issues surrounding the electoral process.
The party’s relatively muted response to the SIR controversy had drawn criticism from the DMK, with former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin questioning whether TVK was reluctant to take on the BJP over the issue.
On Thursday, TVK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna hit back at Stalin, accusing the DMK of enabling the full-scale implementation of the SIR across streets and neighbourhoods in Tamil Nadu.
Arjuna alleged that more than 9.7 million voters had been removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR process, disproportionately affecting young voters under 30 and women. He accused the DMK of failing to protest or issue an official statement over the alleged deletions. Arjuna also said TVK had approached the Supreme Court seeking the cancellation of the exercise after irregularities came to light.
TVK’s participation in the SIR protest is a boost for the Congress, which is seeking to strengthen its campaign against the Election Commission’s exercise. The national party stands to benefit from TVK’s organisational reach, electoral support and the considerable political appeal of its leader, Vijay, in Tamil Nadu.
The Congress also has an interest in bringing its new ally into the broader national Opposition campaign, even as TVK does not have representation in Parliament.
