DMK backs student protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, accuses Congress and TVK of ‘double standards’

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in a meeting of its MPs which was chaired by party president MK Stalin on Saturday, adopted a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise.

The party also passed a resolution extending support to student organisations protesting against the CEC, while accusing the Congress and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of “double standards”, ANI news agency reported. The meeting was held at 11 am on Saturday at the Murasoli Maran Meeting Hall in the DMK headquarters at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai.

‘Remove CEC, restore ballot paper voting’: DMK's resolutions and demands

During the meeting, which was held to discuss various issues including SIR of electoral rolls, the party passed four resolutions and adopted three demands. The first resolution sought the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, while the second extended support to the protests being held by student organisations against the CEC and SIR.

The third resolution condemned the TVK and Congress for what the DMK described as their “double standards”, and the fourth called for party a petition to the President of India seeking corrective measures to address electoral irregularities, according to ANI.

The meeting also adopted three demands. These included:

"A) Complete cancellation of the SIR

B) Restore ballot paper voting in place of EVMs

C) Submission of a petition to the President of India."

The party also demanded an inquiry into the conduct of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, according to ANI.

DMK meeting highlights party's early opposition to SIR

The DMK meeting on Saturday recorded that when reports had emerged regarding a large number of voters allegedly being systematically deleted from electoral rolls in Bihar, the first state where the SIR was conducted, MK Stalin had raised his voice against the exercise in July, 2025, ANI reported.

Stalin had also participated in the Voter Adhikar Yatra organised in Bihar to protest against SIR, with DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi accompanying him there.

The meeting noted that after the Election Commission's announcement in October 2025 of SIR in 12 states, including Tamil Nadu, Stalin had raised concerns regarding this and alleged that BJP was “trying to extend its alleged conspiracy”. The DMK meeting also claimed that the party was among the most vocal in the country in opposing SIR.

DMK MPs further claimed that the Congress's criticism of SIR, and its refusal to speak about the exercise in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, amounts to “double standard.” If irregularities have occurred during the SIR, the same concerns must apply to every state, the MK Stalin-led party said.

The DMK resolution further pointed to several developments, claiming they raise questions on TVK's position on SIR.