DMK and Congress Accuse ECI of Favouritism, Claim Bihar Voters Being Added to Tamil Nadu Rolls

New Delhi: A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has triggered a major controversy in Tamil Nadu, after reports surfaced that 6.5 lakh migrant workers mainly from Bihar are now residing in Tamil Nadu and may be eligible to vote there.   

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been accused by Congress and DMK of attempting to transfer voter rights from Bihar to Tamil Nadu, allegedly to influence the 2026 Assembly elections.

Earlier the Congress leader P. Chidambaram in his social media post called the move “alarming” and “illegal,” accusing the ECI of mass disenfranchisement in Bihar while adding migrant workers to Tamil Nadu’s voter rolls.

Reports suggest 3 lakh migrants already have voting rights in Tamil Nadu due to permanent migration.

Election Commission has debunked P. Chidambaram’s claim of mass voter transfer from Bihar to Tamil Nadu, calling it misleading and factually incorrect.

The ECI responded to this calling the allegations “absurd and misleading,” and clarified that the Tamil Nadu revision process has not yet begun.

The election commission in its statement said that migrant workers have the right to register in their state of residence, but denied any mass transfer of voters.

ECI further cleared that it is just the first set of reports and that there will be a proper check on the voters list of Tamil Nadu ahead of elections and claimed that the opposition is just causing a confusion. 

How Political Parties Responded to the Controversy
The BJP defended the ECI’s position, stating that migrant workers who have settled in Tamil Nadu have every right to vote there.

They dismissed the opposition’s claims as factually incorrect, asserting that residency and voter registration are governed by law, not political convenience.

BJP leaders accused Congress and DMK of spreading misinformation and politicizing a routine electoral process.

The DMK on the other side has strongly opposed the inclusion of migrant workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu’s voter rolls.

AIADMK took a more neutral stance, downplaying the whole controversy. They noted that 6.5 lakh voters out of 6.5 crore is not a significant number.

AIADMK leaders suggested that DMK’s panic reflects the growing strength of the INDIA alliance, implying that DMK fears losing ground.