Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to participate in the INDIA bloc’s national-level protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol. Thirumavalavan said on Friday. His remarks came a day after TVK joined the opposition alliance’s protest in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking in Chennai, Thirumavalavan said TVK had already joined the INDIA bloc and shared its opposition to the Election Commission and the Union government over the SIR exercise.
“TVK has already joined the INDIA bloc. They are against the Election Commission and the Union government. They attended the INDIA bloc protest yesterday. Recently, they have joined the Tamil Nadu unit. Later on, they will participate in the protest at the national level,” he said.
The VCK chief also said the agitation against SIR would continue and could grow into a larger people’s movement.
TVK Joins INDIA Bloc Protest in Chennai
The INDIA bloc parties in Tamil Nadu organised a “Protect Democracy” protest in Chennai on Thursday, October 15. The demonstration called for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and opposed the SIR process over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls.
According to PTI, this was TVK’s first participation in an INDIA bloc protest since joining the opposition alliance earlier this month. Addressing the gathering, TVK leader and School Education Minister A. Rajmohan said his party had opposed the SIR exercise from the beginning. He described the process as anti-democratic and said it undermined the principles of equality associated with B. R. Ambedkar.
Rajmohan also said the party had challenged the implementation of SIR in the Supreme Court, including its rollout in states such as Bihar.
Opposition Leaders Raise Concerns Over Voter Deletions
During the protest, Thirumavalavan defended the DMK and alleged that the electoral roll revision had resulted in the deletion of more than 97 lakh votes, particularly affecting minority and Scheduled Caste communities.
He described the DMK’s defeat in the April 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as an “artificial loss” and alleged that voter deletions and electoral manipulation had contributed to the outcome. Also claimed the process affected former Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s defeat in the Kolathur constituency.
These allegations remain contested. TVK has separately claimed the removal of 74 lakh voters affected the DMK’s electoral prospects, while Congress has rejected the argument that SIR-related deletions caused the DMK’s defeat.
Political Differences Within the Opposition
TVK, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, defeated the DMK in the April Assembly elections and formed a minority government in May with support from former DMK allies, including Congress, VCK and Left parties.
The latest developments highlight the opposition parties’ efforts to coordinate their campaign against SIR while differences remain over the extent to which electoral roll revisions influenced the Tamil Nadu election results.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: On the TVK joining the INDIA bloc’s protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan says, “TVK has already joined the INDIA bloc. They are against the Election Commission and the Union government… They attended the INDIA bloc protest yesterday. Recently, they have joined the Tamil Nadu unit; later on, they will participate (in the protest) at the national level…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2026