North India Statesman
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Names of over 97 lakh voters have been removed due to various reasons including migration, death and duplication in the draft voter list released on Friday after Tamil Nadu’s special intensive revision (SIR).
According to the state Chief Electoral Officer, 66.4 lakh voter registrations were canceled due to transfer, 26.9 lakh voters were found dead and 3.98 lakh voter registrations were canceled due to multiple occurrences. The office also said that 5.43 crore voters submitted enumeration forms, which is 84.81 percent of the total voters in the state.
“By December 19, 2025, 5,43,76,755 voters out of 6,41,14,587 voters have submitted their census forms, reflecting huge participation in the first phase of SIR,” the office said.
Nearly 73.7 lakh names were removed from the draft voter list of Gujarat released on Friday. Of these, 18.07 lakh names were dead, 51.86 lakh names were transferred or missing, and 3.81 lakh names were registered at more than one place.
The period for filing claims and objections in both the states is open till January 18, 2026, so that the original voters can be re-included in the revised lists. “Genuine voters can be re-incorporated into the electoral rolls during the period for filing claims and objections from December 19, 2025 to January 18, 2026,” officials said.
The process of releasing voter lists in Tamil Nadu comes after the Election Commission of India released draft voter lists in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Puducherry and Lakshadweep earlier this week.
Most of the voters whose names were removed were found in key districts. In Chennai, 14.25 lakh names were deleted, including 1.56 lakh deceased voters and over 12 lakh voters who had changed their place of residence. This resulted in 26 lakh valid voters left in 22 assembly constituencies. 6.5 lakh names were removed in Coimbatore, 2.34 lakh in Dindigul and 2.74 lakh in Kanchipuram. Around 80,000 names were removed in Karur.
Political reactions have been divided. The DMK-Congress alliance and the newly formed TVK opposed the SIR, while the AIADMK, which is in alliance with the BJP, supported it. AIADMK leader E. Palaniswami said the removal of “duplicate voters” proved the need for amendment and feared “drama” from the DMK on the issue.
The opposition had earlier argued that voter list revision (SIR) is a tool of electoral manipulation, a charge rejected by both the Election Commission and the BJP, who cited constitutional powers for periodic voter list revision.
Meanwhile, the first SIR draft list of West Bengal, which was released earlier this week, saw 58 lakh names removed.
