Kolathur voters cut: Stalin’s constituency faces shocking exclusion
Before SIR verification, over 6.41 crore voters were registered in Tamil Nadu, now facing sudden exclusions and uncertainty.
Chennai: Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s Kolathur constituency has witnessed the removal of 1,03,812 voters, marking one of the largest single reductions in Tamil Nadu’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. The draft list, released following the revision exercise, indicates a sweeping purge of invalid, duplicated, or outdated entries, signaling one of the most extensive voter clean-ups ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Following the revision, the state’s electorate now stands at 5,43,76,755, reflecting a substantial reduction of 97,37,831 names. Election authorities attributed this drop to the identification of deceased individuals, migrated voters, and duplicate registrations, part of a comprehensive effort to ensure accuracy and integrity in the voter rolls.
The draft roll now lists 2,77,06,332 women, 2,66,63,233 men, 7,191 transgender voters, and 4,19,355 voters with disabilities. The SIR breakdown shows that 26,94,672 entries were removed due to deaths, 66,44,881 due to migration, and 3,39,278 were classified as duplicates. Officials explained that stricter verification procedures, including digital cross-checking and field verification, contributed to the scale of these deletions.
Kolathur, long regarded as a stronghold for Chief Minister Stalin, experienced a 35.71% reduction in its previous voter count. The constituency now has 1,86,841 registered voters in the new draft list. The revision has sent shockwaves across the state, as it significantly affects the electorates of several key political figures, potentially influencing strategies ahead of the elections.
In Edappadi constituency, represented by AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, 26,375 voters were removed, leaving a revised total of 2,67,374 voters. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Chepauk-Triplicane constituency recorded 89,241 deletions, reducing its tally from 2,40,087 to 1,50,846. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran’s Tirunelveli constituency saw 42,119 deletions, resulting in a total of 2,63,685 voters in the draft roll.
The scale of these deletions has sparked immediate discussions among political circles and is expected to trigger public claims and objections in the coming weeks. With the draft roll now publicly available, political parties are expected to scrutinize constituency-level data, assess impacts on voter bases, and recalibrate their strategies accordingly.
For many residents, these changes carry both logistical and emotional weight. Families have expressed anxiety over missing names, while candidates face the pressure of reorganizing outreach plans. In Kolathur, where Stalin has long enjoyed strong support, the sheer number of deletions is likely to fuel debates about electoral representation, fairness, and voter verification processes.
Officials reiterated that the SIR exercise is not designed to disenfranchise voters but to ensure the accuracy of the electoral rolls, with subsequent opportunities for individuals to file claims or corrections before finalization. However, the political implications are undeniable, as parties evaluate how the revisions may shift power dynamics in critical constituencies across Tamil Nadu ahead of a high-stakes election season.
The revised rolls serve as a stark reminder of the scale and complexity involved in maintaining a credible democratic process, balancing the need for stringent verification while ensuring that eligible citizens retain their fundamental right to vote.
This update underscores the growing importance of public awareness and proactive engagement in the electoral process, particularly in a state with fiercely contested constituencies and high political stakes.