Supreme Court Dismisses Tamil Nadu Electoral Roll Challenges After Bihar Precedent

The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of 13 petitions filed by political parties and leaders challenging the conduct of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant noted the petitioners' submission that further adjudication was unnecessary in light of the court's earlier judgment on a similar issue in Bihar.

On May 27, the Supreme Court had upheld the Election Commission's power to conduct SIR in Bihar, describing the exercise as one that 'breathes life' into the constitutional mandate for fair elections. That judgment reaffirmed the constitutional imperative of free and fair polls, dismissing challenges that the SIR amounted to a de novo citizenship verification process.

In the Tamil Nadu case, parties including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had argued that the intensive revision was imposed unilaterally without consultation with the state government, thereby eroding the federal structure. They contended that the move risked disenfranchising lakhs of voters and reduced the state to a 'mere executing agency'.

With the Supreme Court's disposal of the petitions, the SIR in Tamil Nadu will proceed as planned, following the legal framework established by the Bihar verdict. The court's decision underscores the primacy of the Election Commission's role in maintaining accurate electoral rolls, while also addressing concerns about federal balance in electoral administration.