A startling administrative lapse shook the Sivaganga District Collectorate when Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Indhuja and her husband Ramesh learned that both of them had been officially recorded as deceased on the voters’ list. The couple said they had properly completed and submitted their Special Intensive Revision (SIR) forms, making the discovery even more shocking.
An agitated Ramesh confronted District Collector K. Porkodi on the spot, questioning how such a blunder could occur. He demanded clarity and asked her how he and his wife could be declared dead, as per a report on The Hindu. He asked whether there was any certificate from the municipality stating that they were dead, and whether it was an administrative error or had been done deliberately.
The Collector responded by ordering immediate corrective measures. She suspended the Booth Level Officer (BLO) in charge of their polling station and assured the couple that their names would be restored to the rolls without delay. When Ramesh claimed that several others had faced similar errors, she urged him to provide proof so that those entries could also be reviewed.
ECI Says SIR Allegations “Exaggerated”
Meanwhile, the incident comes as the Special Summary Revision process in Tamil Nadu faces heightened scrutiny. Earlier this month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court asserting that accusations of widespread irregularities were overstated and shaped by “vested political interests.”
Responding to petitions—including one filed by DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi—the Commission described the allegations as “misconceived” and insisted that the SIR process had proceeded smoothly, reported India Today. The ECI also questioned why a DMK representative had sought judicial intervention despite the party’s active involvement in the revision exercise.
EC Issues New Instructions for Booth-Level Verification
Amid concerns over voter list accuracy, the Election Commission on Wednesday announced steps aimed at increasing transparency. Booth-level agents (BLAs) of political parties will now receive lists of absent, shifted, and deceased voters ahead of the publication of draft electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories currently undergoing intensive revision.
The draft rolls for nine states and three UTs are slated for release on December 16. According to the ECI, chief electoral officers have been directed to share booth-wise data identifying voters whom BLOs were unable to reach despite three attempts.
