Chennai, Dec 20 (NationPress) MDMK general secretary Vaiko has raised significant concerns regarding the removal of approximately 97 lakh names from the Tamil Nadu electoral roster, asserting that the magnitude of these deletions prompts serious inquiries into the integrity and transparency of the process.

In a statement released on Saturday, Vaiko highlighted that the Election Commission has finalized the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, unveiling the draft voter list on December 19. Following the comprehensive enumeration under SIR, a total of 97.38 lakh voters were eliminated from the list.

The Election Commission indicated that the special revision commenced on October 27. In the initial phase, SIR forms were distributed door-to-door, with polling officials assigned to carry out a minimum of three rounds of household verification.

Before the SIR census, the overall count of voters in Tamil Nadu was 6,41,14,587. The newly published draft list reveals 5,43,76,755 voters, signifying a reduction of 97,37,831 names.

Breaking down the removals, the Commission has clarified that 26,94,672 names corresponded to deceased individuals, 66,44,881 were voters who had either migrated or had untraceable addresses, and 3,39,278 were duplicate entries across various constituencies.

However, Vaiko contended that such a massive removal, especially the deletion of 66.44 lakh voters due to migration or missing addresses, is concerning and requires thorough scrutiny.

He noted that his party, in conjunction with the DMK and allied factions, previously warned of potential irregularities during the intensive revision process—citing Bihar as an example, where significant voter roll deletions had raised alarms.

Vaiko pointed out that a petition challenging the SIR procedure has already been submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the DMK and its revival faction, anticipating possible inconsistencies.

The MDMK leader urged citizens to promptly verify their names in the draft electoral roll. Individuals whose names are absent should swiftly file Form 6 for inclusion, while objections should be submitted using Form 7 and address modifications through Form 8. All corrections and additions must reach booth-level officials by January 18.

He further asserted that the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance possesses the capability to confront the Election Commission in the electoral sphere, if necessary.

Vaiko called upon volunteers and polling agents from the alliance—particularly the Revival DMK—to undertake field surveys at every polling station to identify voters who may have been unjustly removed. He emphasized that protecting voter rights and ensuring fair representation should be the top priority for democratic forces within the state.