The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a key ally of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government in English Nadu, has suggested that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise may have influenced the recent Assembly election results. VCK President Thol Thirumavalavan expressed concerns about how the electoral roll revisions affected the contest.
Thirumavalavan Highlights SIR Impact
After participating in an Opposition protest against the Election Commission of India in New Delhi, Lok Sabha MP and VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan stated, “SIR created a three-cornered contest in English Nadu and that led to the ultimate result. It is possible that TVK’s victory in English Nadu could have been impacted due to the SIR, as it has done in other states. This is what I said at the time of the result and I stand by it.”
Opposition Criticism of the SIR Exercise
The SIR exercise involved significant deletions and additions to electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly elections, leading to widespread opposition criticism. The process in English Nadu removed approximately 97.3 lakh names from the draft electoral rolls, reducing the electorate from about 6.41 crore to 5.43 crore. The deletions were mostly due to voters being marked as shifted or absent (66.4 lakh), deceased (26.9 lakh), or duplicates (around 4 lakh).
VCK’s Position on the Election Results
VCK General Secretary D. Ravikumar clarified that the party was not directly questioning TVK’s victory but believed the SIR exercise could have influenced the outcome. “When they started the SIR in Bihar and Tamil Nadu, we filed individual cases in the Supreme Court against SIR. We have repeatedly said it is an anti-people activity and in English Nadu, over 97 lakh voters were deleted,” he said. Ravikumar added that most deleted voters belonged to SC/ST communities or other minority groups.
Concerns About SIR Implementation
Ravikumar shared observations from visiting several booths, noting that voter registration forms were given only to people present at the time, while many others were missed. “People in villages go for work in the morning and come late in the evening and might not have been covered under SIR. That cannot be classified as untraceable and given as a reason to delete their names,” he explained. He also stated that local field workers involved in SIR, including anganwadi workers, women, and teachers, acknowledged these issues.
Alliance Dynamics and Political Differences
The VCK has highlighted ideological differences with the Chief Minister C. Vijay Joseph-led TVK despite supporting the government. After extending support in May 2026, Thirumavalavan made public remarks alleging links between TVK and the RSS and criticized certain gestures by Vijay in the Assembly. However, the VCK has actively campaigned for TVK candidates in bypolls, contrasting with other left parties contesting independently.
Tensions Within the Alliance
While Thirumavalavan pledged VCK’s support for the full term of the TVK government, his comments on the SIR exercise and other matters reveal underlying tensions. Some party members have suggested that outside support might have been preferable to full government participation due to ideological differences.
