Politics · India · 15 hrs ago
DMK seeks removal of election chief and return to paper ballots
At a meeting in Chennai on Saturday, DMK lawmakers called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and an inquiry into his handling of voter-list changes.
The party alleges that names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, despite objections from the other two Election Commissioners.
The DMK says the voter-list review could deprive people of their right to vote and wants the SIR cancelled before Assembly elections.
It also argues that alleged differences between electronic voting machine results and paper audit slips have weakened trust in the voting system.
The party wants elections to return to paper ballots and says counting the audit slips could help restore public confidence.
The DMK plans to ask the President to cancel the SIR and wants future elections to use the existing voter lists.
M.K. Stalin chaired a meeting of DMK MPs on October 17, 2026, to discuss the party’s opposition to the voter-roll revision and its demand to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The DMK resolution alleged that Kumar oversaw voter-name deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), overriding objections from the other two Election Commissioners.
The party called for Kumar’s removal and an inquiry, and decided to ask the President to cancel the SIR before Assembly elections.
The DMK also called for a return to paper ballots, citing alleged discrepancies between electronic voting machine results and VVPAT slips.
- Who
- M.K. Stalin chaired a meeting of DMK MPs.
- What
- The MPs discussed opposition to the SIR and demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- When
- Saturday, October 17, 2026.
- Where
- At the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai.
- Why
- The DMK alleged that voter names were deleted during the SIR and said the Election Commission was not functioning impartially.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Stalin called for the release of Cockroach Janata Party leader Abhijit Deepke and AISA chief Neha Bora, who had been detained by Delhi Police.
Stalin chaired a meeting of DMK MPs at the party headquarters in Chennai.
The meeting adopted a resolution demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and decided to petition the President to cancel the SIR before Assembly elections.
- Meeting date
- October 17, 2026
- Meeting location
- Anna Arivalayam, Chennai
- Party president
- M.K. Stalin
- Election chief named
- Gyanesh Kumar
- DMK demand
- Remove the Chief Election Commissioner and conduct an inquiry
- Ballot proposal
- Return to paper ballots
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What people are saying
He must be removed and subjected to an appropriate inquiry.
People’s faith in elections can be restored only by returning to the paper ballot system.
Their whereabouts have not been disclosed, and keeping them in custody is clearly illegal and extremely inhumane. The central government should release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests.